November 5, 2024 • 59 mins
What happens when persistence meets opportunity on the last day of hunting season? Let Meg's story inspire you as she recounts her unforgettable encounter with a wounded buck in New Jersey. Through a mix of skill and timing, she turned a season of near misses into a triumphant moment, all thanks to a well-timed grunt call. Her tale isn't just about the thrill of the hunt; it’s a reflection on the camaraderie and support that makes the hunting community so unique. Immerse yourself in Meg's journey of resilience and discover the unexpected treasures that come with patience and perseverance in the wild.
Ever wondered how a simple injury could transform a deer's antlers into something extraordinary? Join us as we explore the intriguing science behind antler growth and the fascinating ways a deer's body prioritizes healing. From quirky antler formations to practical challenges in meat processing, this episode offers a comprehensive look at deer biology through the lens of real hunting experiences. We delve into the gritty details and the surprising lessons learned when nature's course takes an unexpected turn. Whether you're a seasoned hunter or curious about wildlife, this conversation promises to deepen your understanding and appreciation of these majestic creatures.
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Episode Transcript
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Hunting just got tactical.
Welcome back to the garden.
(01:00):
State outdoors and podcastpresented by boondock sunning.
I'm your host, mike nitro.
I'm frank mastica you got thesquash and guys, we, we are
brought with this episode'scoming with three people who
just all got it done in the lastcouple of days.
You know, um quentin was out inohio with squash meg on her
(01:24):
last day of hunting for theseason.
And then you know, paul out inConnecticut right, it was in
Connecticut, buck, hometown Buck, and everyone just success all
around and the woods are hittingup and it's the perfect time.
But before we, you know, we getto really the rest of guys, meg
(01:45):
, I mean, this was huge, yeah itreally was.
I can't, I'm so happy.
I mean, and I I speak for allthe guys.
You know a part of boondockshunting and and the team and you
know the competition that we'redoing and everything like that.
I mean, we all know how muchthat that meant to you.
But you know, let the listenersout there.
(02:06):
Like you know, it must havebeen like I.
I I can't put it into words, soI hope I, I hope you can I hope
I can do it.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
It still like doesn't feel real because I sat every
single ounce of free time that Ihad, like probably like 24 to
25 sits.
Anytime I was off, I like hitthe woods, I hit the woods and
then like nothing, nothing,nothing.
And then, I don't know, justfirst light yesterday, I just
hear like I could see a doe, butI don't know like.
(02:36):
And then all of a sudden, likeI just hear like a grunt and I
was like, oh my god, I'm likedon't tell me like this is gonna
happen.
And I was like either I'meither gonna make or break this.
So I was like don't tell melike this is going to happen.
And I was like either I'm eithergoing to make or break this.
So I was like let me just throwa grunt at him.
And then that doe just likecame right to me and then he
just like circled downwind toher and I was like the sun like
you know it's kind of coming up.
I could like see him.
(02:57):
Like he was hurt pretty bad,like he was like dragging his
back leg.
He got hit by a car, definitelylike chasing her.
So I felt, like if theopportunity presented what you
did, I'm like I have to do likethe most humane thing, you know,
because this guy is gonnasuffer once winter comes.
But there are pretty like toughresilient animals, you know,
but I don't even know it.
(03:18):
Just it still doesn't feel real.
I mean, I didn't even know hewas broken until, like you know,
probably about a half hourlater after I shot him, you know
, I was like, wow, I'm likelooking at binoculars.
It's wild.
Never in my life did I think ofa non-typical New Jersey deer
on my last day Like shaking,still thinking about it.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Wild, just a stud yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, that was a blessing.
Right right there, the manupstairs definitely heard me
like I'm like.
Please send me a good one,please you know, that's a wild
rack too.
It really was I definitelylearned something when I dropped
him off at the butcher andtaxidermist.
He said if a buff like thatgets hit, you know he got hit on
(04:06):
his uh, he was affected on hisleft side, the antler growth.
So if he gets hit on the rightside, he's gonna have a left and
I never knew that yeah, yeahyeah, I've heard that yeah yeah,
it pulls the.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
It pulls the nutrients away from the antlers
the nurse, nurse, whatever theinjury is.
So the next year when they growit it's all wonky and
everything it's so interesting.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I'm probably gonna lose the hind quarter because,
like I mean, it was like reallysquishy, definitely full of like
infection back there, I mean.
But hopefully I don't miss therest of the deer but yeah I mean
the cavity looks clean inside,but I mean you don't know until
the guy gets under yeah yeah, Imean, uh, have you seen?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
have you seen that deer before?
Was that like a first time,like that?
I have not chasing in firsttime seeing.
Okay, I just got very luckythat's awesome it really was on
my last day, like I.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Just like I said yeah what a deer, like I just saw
like you know like mass on hisone side and I'm like, okay, I'm
like where's the other side?
Because it was still kind oflike dark, I couldn't tell fully
yet until he like gave me a 20yard shot and I was like, oh my
god, is that a drop time?
Like what?
Is that crazy?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
just a yeah, no, I mean it's, it's just a, a
beautiful deer.
I mean, yeah, it's uh, just howit went down.
I mean, and and that's the coolthing and that's why I love
hunting, and you know, I knowsquash can definitely talk more
on this, but that's something Ialways believe, like I.
I always believe that thingshappen for a reason, especially
like you know, any of you knowthe believers out there and
(05:41):
everything like that, like I,I'm a full-hearted, like I've
missed there and everything likethat, like I, I'm a full
hearted, like I've missed deerand stuff like that.
And then you know what, like 30minutes later, like I'm even
bigger deer showed up and I wasable to capitalize, like on that
deer, like so I, I'm a hugebeliever of things happen for a
reason.
And it's just like, if you'renot killing anything yet or just
anything in life, like just bepatient, and you know that's a
(06:04):
prime example, absolutely yeah,so I mean it's, I, I'm, I'm
happy now.
Justin's got some shoes stillbecause you got, you guys gave
yourself and, like I said on thelast episode, for anyone who
doesn't know like we are havinga, this will be our second
(06:25):
hunting, uh, competition thatwe're throwing um and we have
this whole point system andeverything like that and um and
meg, just they, they just got a21 point, 21 points I think in
two days with your gear down andit was a buck, 11 point buck
and everything like that.
I mean just just phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
So, justin, uh, that one point like doesn't count,
because I asked.
I mean he does.
It's not big enough to like fita ring on it to me he looks
like 11.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, who cares okay?
Speaker 1 (06:58):
all right.
Well, it's all right yeah, I'llleave that up to um, to steve's
what.
What steve wants to do, um, ifhe gives you the extra point, he
gives you the extra point.
I mean I was calling it 11point this whole entire time,
(07:20):
yeah, but yeah, no, justin, uh,justin gets a big buck on the
ground.
I mean, look out, brad and andthe rest of the guys who are in
first place.
(07:41):
But, um, yeah, oh, from fromfrom that.
So we go from from here.
Jersey.
The.
The last you know opportunity,hopefully you know, is is this
going to be the last surgery?
Like what, what's it lookinglike for you?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
on on that I really hope so, I hope so.
Um, they have to go in.
My disc is like, because I wasin an atv accident so my disc is
completely shot, so they haveto remove it.
And you know know, do like thespinal fusion.
I have to miss out on pheasanthunting this year.
I miss out on waterfowl and Ijust got started into that last
year.
I don't know if I'm going to beable to go turkey hunting, I
(08:18):
don't know yet, but I should belike, knock on wood, everything
goes well, like, like you know,next, next november, I should be
okay to, you know, hit thewoods, probably from a ground
blind, honestly.
So I can't, I don't think Icould do that you know.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
So they said that this is going to be probably a
pretty long um recovery processphysical therapy, like, like all
these things are gonna so it'sgoing to be a a long process.
So we're we're all here prayingfor you and hoping for a very
successful surgery and then alsothank you so much recovering,
everything like that, um, youknow.
So you know we're, we're, we're,yeah, we're, we're praying for
(08:57):
you there and you know we're,we're looking forward to when
you get back in, back out thereand everything like that.
And you know it was a a hell ofhell of a time for you and you
know it's.
And then I also, the boyfriend,got it done too.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
He did he did his first book and you know he
didn't even need my help,because usually I like help him
out.
I'm like, all right, like we'regonna, we're gonna do this
together, and he really blew meout of the water.
I was like, oh my god, good foryou I was so happy I went down
and got down to go find him andI saw like his, his knock like
lit up and I walk over to himlike where is he?
(09:31):
He's already.
Like you know, field dressinggot everything going.
I was really proud of him.
You know, second year, he or no, actually no, this is the third
year he took, so good for him,good for him he shot that buck
he's deading down and just tookoff after it.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I told him.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Like you know.
If you see him drop, like youknow, just give him a few.
But I'm like you know, yougotta always like kind of pay
attention to your shot, followthrough, watch, you gotta kind
of figure out the wait times andall that stuff.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
You don't never want to push a deer and try to coach
him through, but I don't thinkhe needs my help anymore, he's
got it also and and everyone canprobably agree to this like man
, sometimes you want you likeyou know you have to wait, but
in your mind you're theanxiety's just building and you
just yeah, I'm a huge believerlike I like to go find first
(10:22):
blood before I even go back tothe truck or anything, like I
need to find blood.
Yeah, and if I don't find blood,then I start panicking and I'm
like, oh my, and then I keeppushing further.
Even I shouldn't, but I feellike I have to.
But like I mean I completelyunderstand where, where he's
coming from and that excitement,you know.
(10:43):
To him as well.
Um, now the the boys squatchingquitting, you guys headed to
ohio.
Who wants to?
To get on that?
Um, and start with that.
Uh, to begin with, it doesn'tmatter.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
You want to start squash or you want me to start?
yeah, go ahead, you, you weresuccessful so I left for ohio on
the 29th at midnight and Irolled into jason's at nine and
I had my hoyt carbon spiderneeded to be re-paper tuned so
we spent like an hour, two hoursgetting it paper tuned.
(11:27):
Well, paper tuned and recitedback in and whatnot, and I went
hunting immediately shortlyafter squatch, rolled into camp
and I had one of my target buckscome in the first night but I
had a branch in my way so Ididn't take the shot.
And then the next morning Iwent back to the same tree and I
(11:48):
made a phenomenal shot on a doewho had been skirting along the
edge of the bottom pretty quickand I found my opening and I
sent my arrow and I drilled herat 30 and I didn't range her.
I guessed I was like I didn'thave time to, you know, sit and
range a hole.
I'm like I think that's 30.
I put my 30 yard pin on her andlet her have it.
(12:08):
She made it, I don't know 40 to50 yards, if that like she
didn't go very far.
And then it got hot, likeunbearably hot.
It was like 80 degrees.
I'm like holy Christ, you know,especially for like end of
October going into November.
Usually, you know, you're likeI don't know what it's like
(12:31):
going on the east side of thecountry, but like here in
Wisconsin it's usually like 50sduring the day, 30s at night.
It just felt warm and I'm likeI'm going to hunt tonight.
I got to get my doe cleaned upand whatnot and I hunted then
the next morning because Iwanted to move my climber and
whatnot to my other spot.
(12:52):
That was the wrong choice.
I should have hunted that nightbecause I had an absolute slob.
I mean a slob show up daylightin 80-degree heat, running does,
like it was 30 degrees outside.
He's running them like allright, well, check the cameras
(13:13):
and I'm like, ok, the picturestell me that I have to hunt all
day long.
And like, well, I'm, I'm hereto hunt, I'm not here to, like,
you know, just sit back and waitfor something to happen.
I got to make it happen and Iwent and sat all day and I
figured it was going to happenright away in the morning
because it was cold and rainy.
(13:34):
I'm like you know it's going tobe a perfect sit.
Nothing happened and it was.
I had turkeys and then I hadtexted Squatch.
What time did I text you that Iwas going to start sending
arrows at squirrels thatafternoon.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
You were getting frustrated around three o'clock,
I believe.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Yeah, I was getting a little stir crazy in the stand
because it's like I sat thereall day.
Nothing was moving at all, likenothing, nothing, nothing.
And I'm like, ok, this waspointless, like bad, bad choice
to sit all day.
You know like maybe it's tooearly and it was 545 ish.
(14:14):
I heard what sounded like adeer down below me in the bottom
and I texted Jason and I'm likeI hear a deer and I'm like I
want to stand up here in a fewminutes just to be ready, just
in case if something quickhappens.
Well, he texted me back.
He's like, okay, sounds good.
Well, I'm sitting there and I'mlike it could be a buck, it
(14:34):
could be a dose.
I threw out a few doe bleatsand I hit the grunt tube like I
was chasing her.
Next thing I know this sucker'srunning up the hill straight at
me and I'm like, oh my god, likethis is gonna happen.
You know like I'm sitting thereand he's looking like up the
hill at me and I'm like he seesme.
He's gonna run like, great, I'mgonna get busted first time I
(14:56):
have a buck, that's in, gonnagive me a shot.
I'm like, great, here it goesand he stops and he's looking
around and then he keeps comingand I'm like, okay, he didn't
see me.
So then he stops again andstares at me.
I'm like, oh, that's it, thehunt's me.
So then he stops again andstares at me.
I'm like, oh, that's it, thehunt's over.
Like I was ready to put my bowback in the holder and he didn't
(15:17):
see me for some odd reason.
And he comes in and he comesaround the backside of my camera
and I'm like I have to pullback because I'm basically in
the wide open and I'm not goingto be able to get my bow back
when he's at 20 yards.
So he got back around my treewhere my camera is and I pulled
(15:39):
back and he stopped and he stoodquartering to me, hard
quartering to me, and I'm likeI've made this shot before like
let him have it.
And I smoked him and he tookoff running.
I'm like, great, he's runningtowards where he just come from
and it's like a hundred footdrop and I'm like he's gonna go
(15:59):
to the bottom.
Like, oh, don't do that.
I'm like, of course.
I'm like I'm texting Jason.
He's like send me a clip of thevideo.
And I didn't have enoughservice to send him a clip.
Of course.
I'm like I'm texting Jason.
He's like, send me a clip ofthe video.
And I didn't have enoughservice to send him a clip.
I can't get you a clip.
I'm like I'm just going to keepwatching it.
I'm like, man, I hit higherthan I wanted to.
(16:21):
And then I'm like, no, I hittoo far back.
And then I'm like, no, Iactually hit him perfect.
I'm like I was going through abunch of different emotions,
cause it's like you know, youhave that adrenaline and you're
trying to remember what you sawand you're like you're
overthinking it and everythinglike that.
So I texted Jason and I'm like,yeah, I'm going to walk out,
but I'm going to go slow becausehe ran the way I have to come
(16:44):
out.
And he's like, okay, so Iwalked really slow, looking for
a white belly, looking for theglowing eyes you know just
anything of that deer layingthere, and I looked for first
blood.
Since I had to walk past it.
There wasn't a drop man likewhere did I actually hit this
deer?
And so I get past where theedge of the ridge is and I'm
(17:07):
like, well, just gonna pick upmy pace and meet Jason quicker.
And the one spot, a tree hadfallen over the path, so I had
to go around it.
When I come around it and cameback around the tree, my buck
was actually laying in thecenter of my trail, dead, and
I'm like what is the?
I didn't have to track him Isaid, I was randomly on my trail
(17:31):
and boom, there he's layingright there.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
I'm like perfect incredible I love it when it
works that way.
Yeah, yeah, yeah right, that's.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
That's always like I, I swear, every time I'm in the
woods and I'm thinking like,okay, the deer runs this way.
Yeah, this is going to bemiserable.
My car is that way.
For once, can I shoot a deerthat runs towards the car and
not the opposite direction, likethat has always been my like
(18:03):
dream.
I heard I had a buddy, um, Ithink like five or six years ago
he shot a doe opening, openingweekend here in New Jersey and
it actually ran to about ahundred yards to the where his
car was and where it dropped is.
He had a video If.
He walked all the way back,followed the blood trail, found
(18:24):
the deer and then literallypicked his phone up and this car
was just literally right there.
It was the easiest track jobever in in the history, I think.
I mean, I don't think you canget anything easier than that.
But, um, so we boys uh, quentin, was that your first time in
ohio or have you been there?
I mean, because I, what's itlike?
(18:44):
How far are you from ohio?
Speaker 4 (18:45):
like, um, and you're gonna be a little different than
us yeah, so like for me to goto jason's in ohio was eight,
eight and a half hours and Islept for no joke two two hours.
I went to bed at 9 30 and I wokeup at 11 30.
I kissed my wife goodbye,grabbed my stuff and gone.
(19:08):
I was out of the house and yeah, and the type of terrain that
we were in is completelydifferent than what I'm hunting
in.
I'm flat land in a marsh with afew good trees out there.
You're in big timber hills andwhatnot, so it's like it's
different.
You have to adjust to it and,taking what I knew and what
(19:29):
jason knew, and incorporatingboth things together, I was able
to be successful in a brand newstate that I had never hunted
in before yeah, yeah, that yeah,no, I agree and real quick, um,
you said so.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Your flatland, swampy , few good trees, that's exactly
kind of what I'm dealing with.
This is the first time whereI'm hunting.
Usually I'm got the big woods,hills, you know, ridges,
everything, benches, you haveeverything.
I'm now not hunting in that andI'm hunting just very flat,
like I.
I was telling the boys, like Iset up the other day and the
(20:09):
ridge was literally 15 feet andthat was the only elevation
difference, was like 15 feet andlike, yeah, it's like this is,
but this is what I'm dealingwith.
I've noticed, and here it'svery dry, so I don't know, um,
in wisconsin, if you guys havegotten much rain, but we've been
in a drought for since what?
(20:29):
September?
Speaker 3 (20:31):
was the last big rain when the hurricane came through
.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Yeah, I know, yeah, peyton shot two does the last
time in the rain and that wasthat was it.
That's that's the rain andeverything is dry.
Like every pond, I go to everyeverything I in these areas I'm
not finding scrapes like I wouldfind scrapes in the big woods.
Um, in the big woods I'venoticed that I'm finding scrapes
(20:56):
all over the place, versus hereI find a lot more rubs than I
do scrapes.
Now I and it's been goingthrough my mind is that because
of the terrain difference, likehave you noticed that over where
you are?
Like I and I was gonna ask theguys this too, um, you know, and
ask around, because this is myfirst time hunting in a terrain
like this, like I'm not fivewent probably like two miles
(21:19):
today and I found one scrape.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
So what I have noticed is is they don't
actually scrape, they just chewon branches.
That's's what I've noticed.
So like I'll find like a patchof dirt like this, no bigger
than a softball and it'll havelike one hoof track in it, but
then they won't touch it andthey will demolish the licking
(21:45):
branch.
Like I have a possible 140, 150, I think he's a 10.
He doesn't touch the dirt atall, he doesn't rake it, he
doesn't do nothing.
He will grab the branch thebranch is probably three-eighths
round he will grab it and hewill pull it as far back as he
can and he will let that suckersnap and he'll do it like three
(22:07):
or four times and he'll rake it.
But then they won't work thedirt, they only do licking
branches.
That's what I've noticed.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
So I found like a solid line of just licking
branches, chewed up and mangled,and nothing underneath them
okay, interesting because, like,I'm starting to notice that,
like even the cameras that I'verun on, that I have mock scrapes
, they don't, they're not reallymaking scrapes.
(22:35):
They, like you said they will dothe licking, they'll do the
rubbing and everything like that, but they're not.
I haven't seen them do anythinglike they would do up in you
know, when I'm hunting up northand everything like that and
it's it's just so different thatit's it's kind of screwing with
my head because I'm so used tolike finding this definite sign
of scrapes and, hey, this iswhat you got to look for.
(22:56):
And every time I pass a spotwhere it's like, okay, there's
going to be a scrape right there, there's nothing.
And it's like, well, what thehell I'd like finding this
deer's main territory is?
I'm now trying to find rubs,like looking for rubs and like I
guess now potentially I piecetogether, like that deer is, you
(23:20):
know, just licking and not notdoing anything else yeah they,
they chew.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
So like where you would have your licking branch
and then where they would you,you know scrape the ground and
then pee in it.
I'm getting them peeing, butI'm not getting them working
dirt, I'm just getting themliterally shredding the hell out
of the branch, chewing it up,peeing, and then they go on
their merry way and then theycome back and do it all over
again, but I think I have eightor nine different bucks doing
(23:48):
the exact same thing and all thescrapes they're not scraping,
which is weird, and I wasconfused by it too and like wow,
that branch was like demolished, like I went over by it, and
I'm like they're scraping, butthey're not actually scraping,
they're just licking and eatingand breaking branches.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
So I have.
I have the explanation for that, if you want to know what's
that.
Well, yes, when the dirt is drylike that, it doesn't hold the
scent.
When a buck urinates or scrapeshis tarsal glands on it, the
moisture has to be in the dirtfor them to actually it actually
(24:29):
holds.
If you have ever had a dog, Igot beagles.
Whenever it's wet outside, theypick up the scent of anything
that's been through there superquick.
If the air is dry, itdissipates very fast.
Moisture holds scent, so buckswon't waste their time when the
ground is dry.
They kick dirt and make ascrape and piss in it, because
(24:50):
it don't make any sense for themto do it.
Okay, so that's why you'rehaving those branches chewed.
The ground is too dry.
That's why you don't havescrapes.
End of that story.
Uh, when you're, when you'rehunting, scrape.
When you're hunting a rub line,like mike says, he's hunting a
rub line, don't worry aboutscrapes right now.
Anyway, the ruts on, the rutson.
(25:11):
I drove all the way up from themidwest, all the way back here.
I must have counted 55, 60 deaddeer and saw one live, one
clear, four freaking lanes oftraffic right in front of us.
Wow, so the rut is on.
I've got bucks chasing here.
Um I it now's.
Now's the time where you justsit and hope and pray, something
big walks out from another area.
(25:31):
That's, that's in your spot.
Don't worry about scrapes rightnow.
Scrapes the scrapes are aredone.
They may come and open them upafter a rain or whatever again,
but don't, don't worry aboutthat.
Just sit, sit on the maintrails, sit near the thickets
where the does are bedding.
Good, I I'm in their bedroomsright now.
Where I am.
I rushed back home because Iwasn't doing good in Ohio so I
(25:55):
had pictures of bucks runningaround in here.
I said we got to get back home.
So we rushed back up.
We drove 10 hours back up a dayearly.
The buck that Quentin shot Ihad in front of me well, in back
of me that morning, and I justkind of looked at it and I said,
(26:17):
well, maybe it'll go to my son.
So I was kind of like moved alittle bit and he snorted at me
and took off towards my son.
I was hoping my son would shootit and he saw it.
It went by him again and thefunny story was we had got back
out there in the afternoon and,uh, we got on this Ridge that we
(26:38):
were hunting where the bowl isand Quentin was down in the bowl
where he had went and we wishedeach other good luck when we
got in there and then he said,hey, I shot a buck.
And I texted my son and I sayshow much you want to make a bet?
It's that eight pointer, we sawit this morning.
And he says you think so.
I says yeah, I think it is so.
When he drove up at the end ofthe day I said, son, of a gun,
(27:00):
look at that, that's the one youknow.
And I was so happy for himbecause he got up.
It was it poured that night fora while and we were in the tent.
He was in his tent and I heardhim get up super early because
he had to walk like 30 minutespast where we were to get to his
spot.
And I says, yeah, this, thisguy man, he's, he's going to do
(27:24):
it today.
I got a feeling he's going todo it and we talked a little bit
back through the afternoon andwhen he came back with that buck
, I says you know, it was meantto be.
It was just meant to be that heended up with that deer and he
put his time in and he, you know, had his cameras down in there
and stuff, and you know it waswell-deserved, it was good to
(27:44):
see him get what he was afterand he made a great shot on the
doe.
Uh, the day before there um was,he came back up, showed us the
video.
We were like holy cow, yousnuck it right past that limb.
So he, he did great and youknow when you're shooting good
products like warhead arrows andwreck broadheads, that's easy
to do.
So, uh, but anyway, back towhat happened with us.
(28:08):
We, we got out there.
Like I said, we drove out.
We were there a little bitafter Quentin got there, a
little bit longer of a ride.
We got 10 hours to get downthere.
Beautiful country down there,great hospitality.
I couldn't have been happier.
Jason was a great host.
His wife went out of her way tomake sure that we had food and
(28:28):
you know they said if you don'twant to stay in a tent, come on
in the house.
And you know it was just a nicetime, good camaraderie.
You know Quentin was all right,he's, he's okay, guy.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Yeah, that's all right, squatch, I'll.
I'll keep you on my back for alittle bit more.
Yeah, you keep you keep.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
You keep carrying the old squats here.
But, uh, you know, it was agood time.
It was a good time we have.
We had a lot of fun, we shareda lot of stories and, uh, we
actually went out to dinner withthe uh, the owner of Warhead
arrows, and Jason, who's partowner, and had a nice dinner.
We were, you know, thank themfor that.
It was a nice time and, youknow, it was just just a good
(29:07):
experience.
But, like I said, I and youknow it was just a good
experience.
But, like I said, I got bucksrunning around here and you know
, the weather was the bigdampener on everything.
If it had been a lot cooler Ithink we would have did a little
better.
We did see a huge buck on aneighbor's front lawn as we were
driving over to where we wentin.
(29:28):
The thing had to be oh my gosh.
Jason had pictures of him onhis trail camera.
It was a big, tall eight, butwe saw him.
So we were getting hopeful thathe'd come up the ridge but
never saw him and, like I said,we just beat feet.
We wanted to get back home.
We knew we had some colderweather up here and we seen deer
moving.
So we were like hey, let's bugout a day early, and you know
(29:50):
see what happens up here.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
So you know, first of all, for some reason my Wi-Fi
is just awful.
Today I only caught part ofthat squash, so I'm hoping the
the what's his face is doingwhat it's supposed to do and
still catching every like.
(30:12):
For me, everything is justridiculous.
Even I keep going and circling,I imagine.
So I can only imagine what youguys hear from me.
Um, but um, from what I heard,that sounds like a, a, a great
time.
Um, I'm happy for you guys,happy to free for you back and
hopefully you can now take onedown in in New York, yeah.
(30:36):
Now we're going to, we're goingto head into Connecticut and man
, another, another beauty down.
Speaker 5 (30:45):
Yeah, he was a.
He was a good one, he was abuck that I had gotten.
So for those of you that don'tknow, I was in Illinois last
year, came back, came back eastand so pretty much when I got,
when I got right back home, Ihad a couple of cameras left out
(31:06):
at home for my father to check,because my dad, my dad hunts
the property as well, and soleft a couple cameras up there,
went and pulled them at the endof the season and I got pictures
of this buck.
He was just a big bodied sixpointer.
You just, I'd seen, I'd seenthese genetics before.
Um, real long beams, nice twos,decent threes, you know, but no
(31:27):
, no real brow times or anything.
But I got a picture of thatdeer on january 18th.
There was snow on the groundand uh, so I kind of knew he was
in the area, went into theseason and, I'll be honest, my
prep for the season wasn't verygood.
Um, I got into competitive bassfishing and ended up fishing
(31:53):
for the TBF of Connecticut, thenational semifinal up in
Champlain, and I ended upwinning that.
So we've got nationals in March.
So my whole early season waskind of eaten up with fishing.
So I didn't hit the woods untilOctober, like mid October.
I think October 13th or 14thwas the first time I sat in a
(32:16):
tree, so I was.
It was real, really weird.
Um, I only had two cameras outum on this property this entire
year, where usually I'm runningfour or five.
And I got a.
I got one camera out in themiddle of July, went back,
checked it in August and hadsome bucks moving through, and
(32:39):
then checked it again in October.
On that first set, two daysbefore opener, this buck moved,
moved through the valley Valleyand I got I got the hard horn
picture of him and I said, allright, he's, he's wanting to
shoot.
Never got another picture ofanother buck after that.
Everything was dry, totally dry.
(33:00):
So I was kind of not superoptimistic about the season.
But I mean, as Squatch said,the, the rut's on, so they're
just up and moving.
And uh, it was yesterday Ihunted.
I hunted yesterday morning.
I thought it was going tohappen.
You know, first thing in themorning it was 28 degrees here
(33:21):
and you know, a light wind,everything was perfect.
I didn't see a thing.
Not a thing was moving.
And so 10 o'clock rolled around, the?
Um, our neighbor startedworking with his excavator.
So all I could hear was justthe excavator going, dropping
rocks on everything.
Uh.
So I got down, regrouped,grabbed, grabbed a bite to eat
(33:44):
and uh, I was actually, you know, going back and forth with
myself, hemming and hawing.
Should I, should I go out andhunt this afternoon?
Because you know there's um,the people in the neighborhoods
have got their leaf blowersgoing, the excavators going,
dropping rocks everywhere.
So, and in my head, I'm going,you know what, if it is the rut,
those bucks are not going togive, they're not going to give
(34:06):
a crap whether or notsomething's going on.
That's not.
I actively chase them.
You know they're, they're notgoing to pay any mind to, to the
noise that's going on, thatthey're pretty much already used
to.
You know, hunting, hunting thesuburbs.
So I get back up into the treeand I think I got in the tree
about 130 and 145.
(34:27):
I look up, here comes this halfrack right right down the
Valley coming, uh, uh, coming atme, and then he veers off, goes
up, goes up the ridge where Iwalked in on.
He hits my track and he stopsand he just starts licking his
nose, just licking.
He's trying to, he's trying tomoisten his nose to pick up
those scent molecules, rightlike squash, talked about how
(34:49):
that uh liquid holds a scent.
And he was trying really,really hard to pick up a scent.
And he kept kind of looking mydirection but couldn't really
tell.
Nose to the ground and the sunwas hitting him just right, I
could see that, that, thatmoisture from his nose just
dripping off the nose.
He was trying real hard tofigure out what I was and
(35:09):
eventually he blew.
He didn't take off running, hejust blew.
He blew three or four times,kind of looked around, turned
back and went away from meacross the ridge.
So he didn't go where he wantedto, but he ended up working off
.
So I thought, oh, that thatmight do it for the might do it
for the day wasn't really sure,nothing else was going on, it
(35:31):
was real quiet.
Um, and then I then I couldhear something walking and I
said, okay, that could be asquirrel, could be a deer, I'm
not 100 sure.
And then I hear the just a likeconsistent.
I'm like all right, no, that'sdefinitely a deer.
So I poke, I'm hunting out,hunting out of the saddle.
So I poke my head around thetree and I just see this frame
(35:53):
just kind of turn against thetree and I'm like, oh okay, here
we go and I get the camera on,turn every turn, the second
angle on and everything, grabthe bow.
And it was kind of one of thosethings where, where he was
coming from, he was right behindthe tree that I was in and so
he's kind of coming right at me,decides to go one way, so I'm
(36:15):
trying to get myself turnedaround.
Decides he's going to go theother way.
So now I got to turn myselfback around.
The second angle lookshilarious.
I look like I'm you know youcan put like, uh, some funny
music to it and it would just behilarious spin around in the
tree.
But he finally commits to atrail and he's coming down.
So it was actually the sametrail that I got the picture of
(36:35):
him on September 13th.
He was walking in the exactsame spot, and so he's coming
down, coming down.
I get probably 10, 15 secondsof footage of him walking
through and then I'm like, allright, he's going to end up
right in this opening, righthere.
So I turn, I kind of zoom outthe camera a little bit, get it
on that spot and then I'm justwaiting and he walks through and
(37:00):
I gave him the meh right, Ijust kind of meh'd at him to get
him to stop.
I think he would have stoppedanyway.
I think he was going to stop.
But you know, it is what it is.
He kind of picked his head up,um, I buried, buried my pin and
I shot and I hit him and atfirst I thought I shoulder hit
him, just because the, thepenetration I saw didn't look
(37:23):
the best.
Um, but I mean he, he took offrunning.
I saw the arrow kick out of himand so I'm watching him and I
get the camera back on him.
He runs probably about 60 yardsor so and he literally snow
plows into the ground.
He snow plows into the ground,picks his head up, kind of looks
around, gets back up and thenhis tail just starts flailing
(37:47):
like this back and forth.
I said, okay, he's hit good,he's.
Can see it on the, you can seeit on the video.
He starts walking and he's gotthat limp to it and I mean blood
.
Every, every time he takes astep, you can just see blood
coming out of the side.
So I knew he was hit good andhe kind of gets lower and lower
and lower.
And where I ended up findinghim he was, his nose was
(38:11):
basically right up against arock wall, like he.
He got to the rock wall and hesaid no, I can't make it over
that.
He just bedded down right thereand he was done.
Um.
So when I cleaned, so um, andthank god, thank god for good
neighbors, because I text I uhsent a note to the, to the
neighbor, and I said hey, youknow, shot a buck, he ran, he
ran down this way, um, justwanted to let you know if you
(38:33):
see, see me down there, likethat's what I'm doing.
He's like oh, okay.
So I sent him a picture of the,the, the deer and everything.
He's like oh, I know exactlywhere you are.
Do you want me to bring the,the front loader down?
And we'll just put them inthere and take them down?
I'm like please, please, forthe love of God.
So I so get them, get them alldressed out, and instead of
dragging him 300 yards up a hilland down a hill, I just had to
(39:02):
drag them 80 yards to a road andloaded them in the front loader
and wheeled them right down tothe house.
Speaker 4 (39:06):
Nice, it was good it was good.
Speaker 5 (39:08):
And I had.
I had skin when I skinned himout my broadhead.
I had skinned when I skinnedhim out my broadhead, so it
missed the front scapula but itsmashed into the backside one.
That whole offside shoulder wasabsolutely torn to shreds
because every time he moved thatbroadhead was just in there
cutting everything apart and soit broke off and hit the offside
(39:32):
, stuck in it a little bit,broke off and I found the front
half of the arrow when I wascleaning them out.
But thankfully no cuts on myhands.
But yeah, that offside frontshoulder was pretty much
unsalvageable.
I couldn't get anything reallyoff of it because it was just
torn to shreds.
(39:52):
But it was a good hunt and, uh,a good deer my, my widest deer,
according to my record book hewas.
He was, uh, just a touch, atouch over.
What was he?
20 inches wide, he was like 20and two eighths wide, something
like that.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
So he was he was a good deer.
How much did he weigh that?
Speaker 5 (40:13):
deer was 186 pounds dressed, so he was probably 200
plus walking around between 220,30 to 40 pounds of guts.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Yeah, yeah, he was.
He was a, he was a brute.
His.
I met you, you're a.
You're a pretty tall, big guyand I can see the picture right
now I'm looking at it youkneeling down behind him.
Yeah, that's a stud, that's anice buck.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (40:40):
His neck was bigger than his chest.
I'd never seen a neck thatswollen on a buck before he was
rutted up.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
For sure he didn't smell though, which was
interesting, his hocks weren'tblack.
No, yeah, was rotted up forsure.
He didn't smell, though, whichwas interesting, his hocks
weren't black.
No, yeah, my neighbor, myneighbor up the road here, got a
really nice eight pointer,about 18 inch spread, 210
pounder.
Yeah, the hocks were dark, darkblack stunk that's what I'm
saying.
They're.
Speaker 5 (41:07):
They're in rut, but every place is different, you
know, yeah, well, but that wasthe thing was that he was
cruising so I was looking at myum.
So I use hunt stand, yeah, andyou know how like.
So you look at hunt stand ordrury outdoors or spartan, for
whatever it is.
They show you like the peakgame activity time.
Uh, hunt stand had peakactivity at 3 pm.
I shot that buck at 305, sothey got.
(41:30):
They got something right, Idon't I don't know what
algorithm they use, but rumor
Speaker 2 (41:37):
rumor has it that eight pointer you shots, pissed
and suing them because he saidhe was just following what they
told him to do.
Speaker 5 (41:46):
Not much.
Not much Now that he's in myfreezer.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
Now this is.
This is the same place whereyou shot your last buck, right?
Speaker 5 (41:59):
So that was the exact same tree.
It was the same tree that Ishot Hank out of.
So when you see the video, ifyou pan 20 yards to the left,
that would be where I shot Hanktwo years ago.
So it's that.
(42:20):
The thing about that property,or this property, after hunting
it for 15 years now, is that Ican really sit in one of two
spots, and that's that's reallyall I gotta say, because it's
just a hub where all thesetrails funnel together.
How the deer come off theopposite ridge or down this
valley, they all kind ofintersect in this one little
(42:42):
area.
So that, and that tree isreally the best tree that gives
me the best shot at multipletrails as they're coming through
now.
Granted, sometimes they take,you know, trail c, which is 60
yards that way, and I don't geta shot.
But the fact that I've gottrail a, b, c, f and g right
here, it's a higher probabilityspot.
(43:02):
So it's just a matter of time.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
Yeah you know if, if connecticut had more public land
?
I mean, these deer putConnecticut on the map of a
sleeper state.
Speaker 5 (43:16):
They so we that's.
The thing is that we we do haveactually a lot of public, it's
just not very big.
So so I worked, so I worked umwork for the state in the
wildlife division and I know ourland acquisition lady really,
really well and what happens isthese people you know, loved
(43:39):
ones pass away or whatever, andthe state buys this property and
it's open to hunting, but it'sonly like 80 90 acres at a time.
So unless you have one of thosehunting apps or you go on the
state's website and looked atthe updated map, you would never
even know these places existed.
Speaker 3 (43:57):
Oh, wow, really yeah.
Speaker 5 (44:00):
I have one of the largest state forests in the
state.
It's like 12,000 acres orsomething like that, you know,
just up the road, but it's funnybecause it's all different kind
of parcels.
Now, the trick is, though, isthat we have a large population
of mountain bikers here thatlove to make trails everywhere,
(44:23):
so you really have to work hardto find those secret little
honey hole spots that doesn'thave a mountain bike trail in it
.
That's one of the hard parts.
We do have public land.
Might any any of you ever wantto try?
Come try and try.
Speaker 4 (44:38):
oh, let me know, because I've got plenty of spots
we can try.
Speaker 5 (44:44):
It's just a matter of you know.
If we see people in blaze, pinkwalking their dog, don't be
surprised.
But but they're there.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
I mean, listen, it's I'm thinking definitely, you
know, taking a trip toConnecticut next year for for
sure.
I mean it's on the bucket, it'sright there, I mean it's, it's
so close.
For for me, I love, you knowI've played hockey there all my
life and you know I've alwaysdriven, I always drive by and
everything like that.
So Connecticut is on is a statethat I do want to hunt,
(45:15):
especially on the east coast.
I want to eventually be able tokill a deer, especially
everyone on the east coast.
I don't know if I'll be able toget to all, you know majority
of the states, but definitelyeast coast.
I think that's a that's goingto be the the first goal here.
And you know, with connecticutright there, like, just like for
delaware, delaware is justright down there.
It takes me two hours to to getto delaware.
(45:36):
I can be in connecticut inabout an hour and a half, maybe
even less.
Honestly, um so, um, definitely, definitely gonna have to to to
hit connecticut up, um nextyear.
But, guys, I mean it is, it'son the rut's on, meg.
Congratulations yet again, itwas great to see Quinn.
(46:01):
Congrats on your first Ohiobuck.
Thank you and you know Paul yetagain, another stud down for you
.
And you know, always enjoy whenyou kill something big and
everything like that.
Uh, you know this.
Uh, I'll say, all three of youguys and you know, of course,
with squash and everything likethat, like, appreciate.
(46:22):
You know the friendship we'veall made now at this point and
the support that we all showeach other and everything like
that.
I definitely love the huntingcommunity for this big reason.
And you know, for anyone outthere that's looking to, you
know that are trying to find acommunity, listen, we're, we're,
we're pretty cool, we're prettyopen and you know we're really
supportive people.
And oh, quentin, one thing Iwanted to ask.
(46:44):
So I'm guessing the shoulder isfeeling good, because I know
when we're talking last time, uh, you're having some shoulder
injuries.
You used to crossbonesbeginning of the season.
How's it feel now to you know,is the shoulder fully healed?
Speaker 4 (46:57):
And I know you got to be pretty happy to be able to
use the carbon spider again,it's usually my back that gives
me all the issues just withhauling and climbing stands and
all my stands and whatnot.
So it's usually my back thatgives me the most issue.
But I've been trying to pushthrough it to use my compound
again because I don't know,there's just something about
(47:18):
being able to pull back your bowand letting that arrow fly out
of your compound is I don't knowit's.
It's something different,especially just being able to
make it all come together andyou know whatever else.
But I'm not afraid to use acrossbow, like there's been
times where I've been out withmy crossbow and whatnot.
(47:39):
So if I'm able to keep gettingin the woods either using my
compound or crossbow, I'm I'mgonna use either one, depending
on how I feel you know, yeah,listen, I mean, I, I get that.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
I I want a whole season using the crossbow and
you're right, there's just adifferent.
There's just a differentfeeling.
Um, you know, but getting outthere is the most important
thing.
Get, you know, just go outthere, have fun.
Um, you know, I just lovehunting, I mean, as much as
listen I'm not a gun hunter likeI don't really gun hunt like
(48:15):
what, like for six day I'mactually.
I'm like I've told myself fromnow on for six days of the year
for new jersey I'm gonna go huntwith a gun.
When I go to maine I'm mostlikely gonna bring a gun.
I think eventually want to trysick a deer in maryland and best
believe I'm bringing a gunbecause I heard how hard it is
hunting sick a deer, like if I'mspending all that time and
(48:38):
money and everything that I amgoing to bring a gun because I
want to.
You know, make that, make thatcount.
And you know, after I get Isaid I always tell people after
I kill something once then, uh,you know, the bow will start to
come in play and that's whenI'll probably chase something.
I will not shoot another bearwith a gun, a hundred percent
will not.
I will shoot one with the withthe bow.
(49:01):
That that's the goal.
But if a bear walks out six day, I gotta do my management part
as a new jersey hunter, right?
So I guess I'm I'm have to, youknow, take a shot if anyone.
But you know it's justsomething that just out there,
have fun, everyone out there.
(49:24):
You know, enjoy what you do,even if you're shooting a spike.
Listen, I think if it gets youfired up and I saw a spike the
other day that got me fired upand I just wanted to, I wanted
to shoot it, I just wanted toshoot it, so exactly.
But you know, if it gets youfired up, go for it.
You know and you know love whatwe do and, guys, it was a
pleasure to get you on Any lastwords from you guys.
Speaker 4 (49:54):
Like the buck that I harvested in Ohio.
I'm going to admit I had somegiants on camera moving daylight
when I pulled my cameras onSaturday, 20 yards from an
absolute stud I mean standingthere looking at me.
But the deer that I harvestedwas actually a very, very
meaningful deer and at the timeit didn't register in my head
(50:17):
until I got back on top of theridge and the first notification
that finally posted on my phonewas in 2018, I had lost my best
friend to suicide and the firstdeer that come in was just a
scraggly looking five pointerand it had significant meaning
to me because November 1st 2018,six o'clock at night, I shot
(50:42):
that buck.
I shot a buck.
November 1st, six o'clock, Ishot this eight pointer and if
that ain't a sign from upstairsfrom him like this is your deer,
you know, like I told Squatchand Jason that had there been
leaves in my tree, there weren'tno leaves in my tree.
(51:03):
After that deer was shotbecause I shook my tree, was the
only tree shaking and wouldn'ttrade that feeling for anything
else.
Like that deer made me super,super proud and I'm not gonna
lie.
After everybody went to bed, Isat in my tent and I I cried
because it it it made me trulyhappy that I was able to get it
(51:27):
done at the same exact time.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
It it's just crazy how it works that way things
happen for a reason, you know,and you know that that's
definitely, definitely a sign.
And, you know, before we we getup, you know you got to tell
people it wasn't a real tent, itwas a nice it was.
Speaker 5 (51:48):
You brought your, your ice shack it was really
cool, I'm not going to lie.
You pitched up in the backyardwith a nice ice shack.
Speaker 1 (51:58):
No, no, it was a thermal ice shack.
Speaker 4 (52:04):
Yeah, a thermal ice shack Six foot by 12 foot long,
so I could have fit a bunch offamilies inside my ice shack.
Speaker 1 (52:11):
It looked comfy.
Speaker 4 (52:13):
Very, very, very, very comfy did.
Speaker 1 (52:18):
Uh.
Did it get cold enough for youto put the heater on, or no, you
were just good well, I had theheater.
Speaker 4 (52:25):
My dumb ass didn't fill the propane tank before I
left home, so so I used it thefirst night and I was warm as
hell in the ice shack the firstnight and when it got cold like
30 degrees I didn't have heat,but I luckily had my Milwaukee
(52:46):
heated vest, so I slept withthat the first, the second night
and then the third night whenit was even colder.
I'm like nope, I'm going inJason's house.
I slept comfy on a couch.
Speaker 1 (52:59):
Oh man, well, on, on that note, we'll.
We'll end it here.
I mean, guys, thank you so muchfor coming on.
Everyone you know.
I hope you guys enjoyed thisepisode.
The rut is on.
Good luck to to anyone outthere hunting and, you know,
hope you guys have tons ofsuccess and we'll see you guys
next week.
(53:19):
And before we also get off, thisis episode 198.
We're two away from 200.
We're going to be filming forour Field Notes.
Next week we will be recordingour 200th episode, so it's going
to be a big one.
Uh, we're going to be doing abunch of giveaways and and
things like that.
(53:40):
This, that one, that one'sprobably going to be a long
episode, um, so anyone who wantsto also come on too, the, the
invite is going to be open.
Uh, you guys can come on,anything like that.
It's going to be probably thesame time as as today, start
time at eight o'clock.
But 200 episodes pretty bigmilestone.
So I'm pretty excited and andeverything like that.
(54:02):
Hopefully we've killed a bunchof big bucks, so we have even
more to talk about and I'mtrying, I'm hoping the, the guy
that um shot Jersey's recordblack bear is going to be on as
well.
You know he said that he'spretty free and available, so
hopefully, yeah, 777 pounds.
(54:22):
Wow, I think we're talking 900pounds living weight, 900 pounds
living weight.
And he was.
Peyton was in line with him andPeyton saw it in person and I'm
pissed.
I didn't go to the check-instation because I was going to
(54:44):
go to the check-in station, butI decided to not go and go break
down camp and I could have sawthat monster in person.
Speaker 4 (54:53):
That is insane.
That bear had to like roll in,like how the hell could it walk?
I?
Speaker 1 (55:01):
don't know.
We are going to find out.
I heard, um, that there isanother bear the same size, so I
believe that that's the rumoron the street.
Um, that's the rumor on thestreet, that's what I've heard,
and this will be, I think, thesecond Black bear that's been.
Now this will take, I think,number One, but I think we in
(55:23):
New Jersey has Two or threebears that Are like in the top
five for biggest, like all time.
So now this is going to be thebiggest and I think there's.
We had one that was the numberthree or something like that.
Um, yeah, new jersey has bigblood and so does north carolina
.
So, like those, those are these, us in north carolina, like, if
(55:45):
you want to kill big bears orsee a lot of bears, definitely a
kind.
You know, I know quit and you,you've talked about it and we've
talked about it and everythinglike that um thank you know
peyton's bear was was a big beartoo.
Um, the last two bears that he'skilled have been have been huge
and everything like that.
Um, so when does your guys onthe map?
Speaker 4 (56:06):
when does your guys's season open for bear?
Speaker 1 (56:10):
I don't, I don't even want to get into that debacle,
honestly, because it's only fora week and it's a pain and it's
a pain in the butt and then wewon't have another one until
december 9th it's the same dayas 16, six day gun season, um,
so we literally have a grandtotal of 12 days to hunt bears.
(56:32):
Not over bait it's be hundredyards off of bait, which I don't
like, which I don't mind, but Ido enjoy, like doing the
baiting process with bearbecause I think it's so unique
and it's so fun and you get tokind of like you get donuts and
you can get all these otherthings that you're you're not
(56:52):
going to do with deer and Ithink it's kind of fun like
you're throwing, like I throwcenter around, like I'm using
all the wackiest scent andsyrups and and honey, like I.
I think that's so cool and thefact that new jersey, like yeah,
you can bait, but listen, I atthat point I'm not really going
to, I'm not not wasting my time,uh time anymore with baiting.
(57:13):
Have you had deer come into?
Speaker 4 (57:20):
your bear baits at all or no?
Honestly no, no, I don't thinkI ever have.
I'll have deer come into mybear baits and they'll actually
grab a full donut and walk awaywith it.
You'll get them off camera,like back behind the bear bait
eating the actual donut.
I'm like, oh, no longer baitingwith donuts.
Speaker 1 (57:42):
Yeah, no, I've never seen it.
I don't know if anyone else outhere in Jersey or anyone else
who baits have seen that.
I'm wondering maybe it doesn'thappen as often in new jersey
just because of how denselypopulated our state is with
bears.
So you're usually on a bear andyou know, probably with you
guys too and everything likethat, but there's just so many
bears on a site and everythinglike that, like they just
(58:04):
straight up just avoid it, whilevice versa, when you're baiting
for deer, you'll get a bit likeI've we've had bear and deer on
the camera, but it's one bear,one deer and they kind of like.
But bear bear baits usuallyfive, six, seven bears sometimes
, and they're always.
And once the big boars come in,which is pretty often, you know
(58:25):
, um, I just don't know how muchdo you really want to to take
that risk on?
You know, yet again, you look atnew jersey's.
We're such a smaller state,we're, we're a small state.
So you know, I I think, maybejust because of that how compact
everything is.
Maybe the deer just don't evenbother.
But yeah, I've seen deer eatchips.
(58:45):
I've seen, I think I've seen avideo of a deer eating a
squirrel or a bird or somethinglike that.
I just, yeah, I've seen deereat a lot of things.
Like they're opportunists forfor sure when it comes to eating
that's.
That's what I've heard too.
Yeah, so all right, guys.
On that note, I know ourlisteners are always tired of us
(59:08):
talking about bears, like, Ithink, almost every episode we
get into to bear talk.
But thank you guys yet againand we'll see you guys next time
.
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Hunting just got tactical.
Welcome back to the garden.
(01:00):
State outdoors and podcastpresented by boondock sunning.
I'm your host, mike nitro.
I'm frank mastica you got thesquash and guys, we, we are
brought with this episode'scoming with three people who
just all got it done in the lastcouple of days.
You know, um quentin was out inohio with squash meg on her
(01:24):
last day of hunting for theseason.
And then you know, paul out inConnecticut right, it was in
Connecticut, buck, hometown Buck, and everyone just success all
around and the woods are hittingup and it's the perfect time.
But before we, you know, we getto really the rest of guys, meg
(01:45):
, I mean, this was huge, yeah itreally was.
I can't, I'm so happy.
I mean, and I I speak for allthe guys.
You know a part of boondockshunting and and the team and you
know the competition that we'redoing and everything like that.
I mean, we all know how muchthat that meant to you.
But you know, let the listenersout there.
(02:06):
Like you know, it must havebeen like I.
I I can't put it into words, soI hope I, I hope you can I hope
I can do it.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
It still like doesn't feel real because I sat every
single ounce of free time that Ihad, like probably like 24 to
25 sits.
Anytime I was off, I like hitthe woods, I hit the woods and
then like nothing, nothing,nothing.
And then, I don't know, justfirst light yesterday, I just
hear like I could see a doe, butI don't know like.
(02:36):
And then all of a sudden, likeI just hear like a grunt and I
was like, oh my god, I'm likedon't tell me like this is gonna
happen.
And I was like either I'meither gonna make or break this.
So I was like don't tell melike this is going to happen.
And I was like either I'm eithergoing to make or break this.
So I was like let me just throwa grunt at him.
And then that doe just likecame right to me and then he
just like circled downwind toher and I was like the sun like
you know it's kind of coming up.
I could like see him.
(02:57):
Like he was hurt pretty bad,like he was like dragging his
back leg.
He got hit by a car, definitelylike chasing her.
So I felt, like if theopportunity presented what you
did, I'm like I have to do likethe most humane thing, you know,
because this guy is gonnasuffer once winter comes.
But there are pretty like toughresilient animals, you know,
but I don't even know it.
(03:18):
Just it still doesn't feel real.
I mean, I didn't even know hewas broken until, like you know,
probably about a half hourlater after I shot him, you know
, I was like, wow, I'm likelooking at binoculars.
It's wild.
Never in my life did I think ofa non-typical New Jersey deer
on my last day Like shaking,still thinking about it.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Wild, just a stud yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, that was a blessing.
Right right there, the manupstairs definitely heard me
like I'm like.
Please send me a good one,please you know, that's a wild
rack too.
It really was I definitelylearned something when I dropped
him off at the butcher andtaxidermist.
He said if a buff like thatgets hit, you know he got hit on
(04:06):
his uh, he was affected on hisleft side, the antler growth.
So if he gets hit on the rightside, he's gonna have a left and
I never knew that yeah, yeahyeah, I've heard that yeah yeah,
it pulls the.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
It pulls the nutrients away from the antlers
the nurse, nurse, whatever theinjury is.
So the next year when they growit it's all wonky and
everything it's so interesting.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I'm probably gonna lose the hind quarter because,
like I mean, it was like reallysquishy, definitely full of like
infection back there, I mean.
But hopefully I don't miss therest of the deer but yeah I mean
the cavity looks clean inside,but I mean you don't know until
the guy gets under yeah yeah, Imean, uh, have you seen?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
have you seen that deer before?
Was that like a first time,like that?
I have not chasing in firsttime seeing.
Okay, I just got very luckythat's awesome it really was on
my last day, like I.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Just like I said yeah what a deer, like I just saw
like you know like mass on hisone side and I'm like, okay, I'm
like where's the other side?
Because it was still kind oflike dark, I couldn't tell fully
yet until he like gave me a 20yard shot and I was like, oh my
god, is that a drop time?
Like what?
Is that crazy?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
just a yeah, no, I mean it's, it's just a, a
beautiful deer.
I mean, yeah, it's uh, just howit went down.
I mean, and and that's the coolthing and that's why I love
hunting, and you know, I knowsquash can definitely talk more
on this, but that's something Ialways believe, like I.
I always believe that thingshappen for a reason, especially
like you know, any of you knowthe believers out there and
(05:41):
everything like that, like I,I'm a full-hearted, like I've
missed there and everything likethat, like I, I'm a full
hearted, like I've missed deerand stuff like that.
And then you know what, like 30minutes later, like I'm even
bigger deer showed up and I wasable to capitalize, like on that
deer, like so I, I'm a hugebeliever of things happen for a
reason.
And it's just like, if you'renot killing anything yet or just
anything in life, like just bepatient, and you know that's a
(06:04):
prime example, absolutely yeah,so I mean it's, I, I'm, I'm
happy now.
Justin's got some shoes stillbecause you got, you guys gave
yourself and, like I said on thelast episode, for anyone who
doesn't know like we are havinga, this will be our second
(06:25):
hunting, uh, competition thatwe're throwing um and we have
this whole point system andeverything like that and um and
meg, just they, they just got a21 point, 21 points I think in
two days with your gear down andit was a buck, 11 point buck
and everything like that.
I mean just just phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
So, justin, uh, that one point like doesn't count,
because I asked.
I mean he does.
It's not big enough to like fita ring on it to me he looks
like 11.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, who cares okay?
Speaker 1 (06:58):
all right.
Well, it's all right yeah, I'llleave that up to um, to steve's
what.
What steve wants to do, um, ifhe gives you the extra point, he
gives you the extra point.
I mean I was calling it 11point this whole entire time,
(07:20):
yeah, but yeah, no, justin, uh,justin gets a big buck on the
ground.
I mean, look out, brad and andthe rest of the guys who are in
first place.
(07:41):
But, um, yeah, oh, from fromfrom that.
So we go from from here.
Jersey.
The.
The last you know opportunity,hopefully you know, is is this
going to be the last surgery?
Like what, what's it lookinglike for you?
Speaker 3 (07:54):
on on that I really hope so, I hope so.
Um, they have to go in.
My disc is like, because I wasin an atv accident so my disc is
completely shot, so they haveto remove it.
And you know know, do like thespinal fusion.
I have to miss out on pheasanthunting this year.
I miss out on waterfowl and Ijust got started into that last
year.
I don't know if I'm going to beable to go turkey hunting, I
(08:18):
don't know yet, but I should belike, knock on wood, everything
goes well, like, like you know,next, next november, I should be
okay to, you know, hit thewoods, probably from a ground
blind, honestly.
So I can't, I don't think Icould do that you know.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
So they said that this is going to be probably a
pretty long um recovery processphysical therapy, like, like all
these things are gonna so it'sgoing to be a a long process.
So we're we're all here prayingfor you and hoping for a very
successful surgery and then alsothank you so much recovering,
everything like that, um, youknow.
So you know we're, we're, we're,yeah, we're, we're praying for
(08:57):
you there and you know we're,we're looking forward to when
you get back in, back out thereand everything like that.
And you know it was a a hell ofhell of a time for you and you
know it's.
And then I also, the boyfriend,got it done too.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
He did he did his first book and you know he
didn't even need my help,because usually I like help him
out.
I'm like, all right, like we'regonna, we're gonna do this
together, and he really blew meout of the water.
I was like, oh my god, good foryou I was so happy I went down
and got down to go find him andI saw like his, his knock like
lit up and I walk over to himlike where is he?
(09:31):
He's already.
Like you know, field dressinggot everything going.
I was really proud of him.
You know, second year, he or no, actually no, this is the third
year he took, so good for him,good for him he shot that buck
he's deading down and just tookoff after it.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I told him.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Like you know.
If you see him drop, like youknow, just give him a few.
But I'm like you know, yougotta always like kind of pay
attention to your shot, followthrough, watch, you gotta kind
of figure out the wait times andall that stuff.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
You don't never want to push a deer and try to coach
him through, but I don't thinkhe needs my help anymore, he's
got it also and and everyone canprobably agree to this like man
, sometimes you want you likeyou know you have to wait, but
in your mind you're theanxiety's just building and you
just yeah, I'm a huge believerlike I like to go find first
(10:22):
blood before I even go back tothe truck or anything, like I
need to find blood.
Yeah, and if I don't find blood,then I start panicking and I'm
like, oh my, and then I keeppushing further.
Even I shouldn't, but I feellike I have to.
But like I mean I completelyunderstand where, where he's
coming from and that excitement,you know.
(10:43):
To him as well.
Um, now the the boys squatchingquitting, you guys headed to
ohio.
Who wants to?
To get on that?
Um, and start with that.
Uh, to begin with, it doesn'tmatter.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
You want to start squash or you want me to start?
yeah, go ahead, you, you weresuccessful so I left for ohio on
the 29th at midnight and Irolled into jason's at nine and
I had my hoyt carbon spiderneeded to be re-paper tuned so
we spent like an hour, two hoursgetting it paper tuned.
(11:27):
Well, paper tuned and recitedback in and whatnot, and I went
hunting immediately shortlyafter squatch, rolled into camp
and I had one of my target buckscome in the first night but I
had a branch in my way so Ididn't take the shot.
And then the next morning Iwent back to the same tree and I
(11:48):
made a phenomenal shot on a doewho had been skirting along the
edge of the bottom pretty quickand I found my opening and I
sent my arrow and I drilled herat 30 and I didn't range her.
I guessed I was like I didn'thave time to, you know, sit and
range a hole.
I'm like I think that's 30.
I put my 30 yard pin on her andlet her have it.
(12:08):
She made it, I don't know 40 to50 yards, if that like she
didn't go very far.
And then it got hot, likeunbearably hot.
It was like 80 degrees.
I'm like holy Christ, you know,especially for like end of
October going into November.
Usually, you know, you're likeI don't know what it's like
(12:31):
going on the east side of thecountry, but like here in
Wisconsin it's usually like 50sduring the day, 30s at night.
It just felt warm and I'm likeI'm going to hunt tonight.
I got to get my doe cleaned upand whatnot and I hunted then
the next morning because Iwanted to move my climber and
whatnot to my other spot.
(12:52):
That was the wrong choice.
I should have hunted that nightbecause I had an absolute slob.
I mean a slob show up daylightin 80-degree heat, running does,
like it was 30 degrees outside.
He's running them like allright, well, check the cameras
(13:13):
and I'm like, ok, the picturestell me that I have to hunt all
day long.
And like, well, I'm, I'm hereto hunt, I'm not here to, like,
you know, just sit back and waitfor something to happen.
I got to make it happen and Iwent and sat all day and I
figured it was going to happenright away in the morning
because it was cold and rainy.
(13:34):
I'm like you know it's going tobe a perfect sit.
Nothing happened and it was.
I had turkeys and then I hadtexted Squatch.
What time did I text you that Iwas going to start sending
arrows at squirrels thatafternoon.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
You were getting frustrated around three o'clock,
I believe.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Yeah, I was getting a little stir crazy in the stand
because it's like I sat thereall day.
Nothing was moving at all, likenothing, nothing, nothing.
And I'm like, ok, this waspointless, like bad, bad choice
to sit all day.
You know like maybe it's tooearly and it was 545 ish.
(14:14):
I heard what sounded like adeer down below me in the bottom
and I texted Jason and I'm likeI hear a deer and I'm like I
want to stand up here in a fewminutes just to be ready, just
in case if something quickhappens.
Well, he texted me back.
He's like, okay, sounds good.
Well, I'm sitting there and I'mlike it could be a buck, it
(14:34):
could be a dose.
I threw out a few doe bleatsand I hit the grunt tube like I
was chasing her.
Next thing I know this sucker'srunning up the hill straight at
me and I'm like, oh my god, likethis is gonna happen.
You know like I'm sitting thereand he's looking like up the
hill at me and I'm like he seesme.
He's gonna run like, great, I'mgonna get busted first time I
(14:56):
have a buck, that's in, gonnagive me a shot.
I'm like, great, here it goesand he stops and he's looking
around and then he keeps comingand I'm like, okay, he didn't
see me.
So then he stops again andstares at me.
I'm like, oh, that's it, thehunt's me.
So then he stops again andstares at me.
I'm like, oh, that's it, thehunt's over.
Like I was ready to put my bowback in the holder and he didn't
(15:17):
see me for some odd reason.
And he comes in and he comesaround the backside of my camera
and I'm like I have to pullback because I'm basically in
the wide open and I'm not goingto be able to get my bow back
when he's at 20 yards.
So he got back around my treewhere my camera is and I pulled
(15:39):
back and he stopped and he stoodquartering to me, hard
quartering to me, and I'm likeI've made this shot before like
let him have it.
And I smoked him and he tookoff running.
I'm like, great, he's runningtowards where he just come from
and it's like a hundred footdrop and I'm like he's gonna go
(15:59):
to the bottom.
Like, oh, don't do that.
I'm like, of course.
I'm like I'm texting Jason.
He's like send me a clip of thevideo.
And I didn't have enoughservice to send him a clip.
Of course.
I'm like I'm texting Jason.
He's like, send me a clip ofthe video.
And I didn't have enoughservice to send him a clip.
I can't get you a clip.
I'm like I'm just going to keepwatching it.
I'm like, man, I hit higherthan I wanted to.
(16:21):
And then I'm like, no, I hittoo far back.
And then I'm like, no, Iactually hit him perfect.
I'm like I was going through abunch of different emotions,
cause it's like you know, youhave that adrenaline and you're
trying to remember what you sawand you're like you're
overthinking it and everythinglike that.
So I texted Jason and I'm like,yeah, I'm going to walk out,
but I'm going to go slow becausehe ran the way I have to come
(16:44):
out.
And he's like, okay, so Iwalked really slow, looking for
a white belly, looking for theglowing eyes you know just
anything of that deer layingthere, and I looked for first
blood.
Since I had to walk past it.
There wasn't a drop man likewhere did I actually hit this
deer?
And so I get past where theedge of the ridge is and I'm
(17:07):
like, well, just gonna pick upmy pace and meet Jason quicker.
And the one spot, a tree hadfallen over the path, so I had
to go around it.
When I come around it and cameback around the tree, my buck
was actually laying in thecenter of my trail, dead, and
I'm like what is the?
I didn't have to track him Isaid, I was randomly on my trail
(17:31):
and boom, there he's layingright there.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
I'm like perfect incredible I love it when it
works that way.
Yeah, yeah, yeah right, that's.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
That's always like I, I swear, every time I'm in the
woods and I'm thinking like,okay, the deer runs this way.
Yeah, this is going to bemiserable.
My car is that way.
For once, can I shoot a deerthat runs towards the car and
not the opposite direction, likethat has always been my like
(18:03):
dream.
I heard I had a buddy, um, Ithink like five or six years ago
he shot a doe opening, openingweekend here in New Jersey and
it actually ran to about ahundred yards to the where his
car was and where it dropped is.
He had a video If.
He walked all the way back,followed the blood trail, found
(18:24):
the deer and then literallypicked his phone up and this car
was just literally right there.
It was the easiest track jobever in in the history, I think.
I mean, I don't think you canget anything easier than that.
But, um, so we boys uh, quentin, was that your first time in
ohio or have you been there?
I mean, because I, what's itlike?
(18:44):
How far are you from ohio?
Speaker 4 (18:45):
like, um, and you're gonna be a little different than
us yeah, so like for me to goto jason's in ohio was eight,
eight and a half hours and Islept for no joke two two hours.
I went to bed at 9 30 and I wokeup at 11 30.
I kissed my wife goodbye,grabbed my stuff and gone.
(19:08):
I was out of the house and yeah, and the type of terrain that
we were in is completelydifferent than what I'm hunting
in.
I'm flat land in a marsh with afew good trees out there.
You're in big timber hills andwhatnot, so it's like it's
different.
You have to adjust to it and,taking what I knew and what
(19:29):
jason knew, and incorporatingboth things together, I was able
to be successful in a brand newstate that I had never hunted
in before yeah, yeah, that yeah,no, I agree and real quick, um,
you said so.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Your flatland, swampy , few good trees, that's exactly
kind of what I'm dealing with.
This is the first time whereI'm hunting.
Usually I'm got the big woods,hills, you know, ridges,
everything, benches, you haveeverything.
I'm now not hunting in that andI'm hunting just very flat,
like I.
I was telling the boys, like Iset up the other day and the
(20:09):
ridge was literally 15 feet andthat was the only elevation
difference, was like 15 feet andlike, yeah, it's like this is,
but this is what I'm dealingwith.
I've noticed, and here it'svery dry, so I don't know, um,
in wisconsin, if you guys havegotten much rain, but we've been
in a drought for since what?
(20:29):
September?
Speaker 3 (20:31):
was the last big rain when the hurricane came through
.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Yeah, I know, yeah, peyton shot two does the last
time in the rain and that wasthat was it.
That's that's the rain andeverything is dry.
Like every pond, I go to everyeverything I in these areas I'm
not finding scrapes like I wouldfind scrapes in the big woods.
Um, in the big woods I'venoticed that I'm finding scrapes
(20:56):
all over the place, versus hereI find a lot more rubs than I
do scrapes.
Now I and it's been goingthrough my mind is that because
of the terrain difference, likehave you noticed that over where
you are?
Like I and I was gonna ask theguys this too, um, you know, and
ask around, because this is myfirst time hunting in a terrain
like this, like I'm not fivewent probably like two miles
(21:19):
today and I found one scrape.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
So what I have noticed is is they don't
actually scrape, they just chewon branches.
That's's what I've noticed.
So like I'll find like a patchof dirt like this, no bigger
than a softball and it'll havelike one hoof track in it, but
then they won't touch it andthey will demolish the licking
(21:45):
branch.
Like I have a possible 140, 150, I think he's a 10.
He doesn't touch the dirt atall, he doesn't rake it, he
doesn't do nothing.
He will grab the branch thebranch is probably three-eighths
round he will grab it and hewill pull it as far back as he
can and he will let that suckersnap and he'll do it like three
(22:07):
or four times and he'll rake it.
But then they won't work thedirt, they only do licking
branches.
That's what I've noticed.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
So I found like a solid line of just licking
branches, chewed up and mangled,and nothing underneath them
okay, interesting because, like,I'm starting to notice that,
like even the cameras that I'verun on, that I have mock scrapes
, they don't, they're not reallymaking scrapes.
(22:35):
They, like you said they will dothe licking, they'll do the
rubbing and everything like that, but they're not.
I haven't seen them do anythinglike they would do up in you
know, when I'm hunting up northand everything like that and
it's it's just so different thatit's it's kind of screwing with
my head because I'm so used tolike finding this definite sign
of scrapes and, hey, this iswhat you got to look for.
(22:56):
And every time I pass a spotwhere it's like, okay, there's
going to be a scrape right there, there's nothing.
And it's like, well, what thehell I'd like finding this
deer's main territory is?
I'm now trying to find rubs,like looking for rubs and like I
guess now potentially I piecetogether, like that deer is, you
(23:20):
know, just licking and not notdoing anything else yeah they,
they chew.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
So like where you would have your licking branch
and then where they would you,you know scrape the ground and
then pee in it.
I'm getting them peeing, butI'm not getting them working
dirt, I'm just getting themliterally shredding the hell out
of the branch, chewing it up,peeing, and then they go on
their merry way and then theycome back and do it all over
again, but I think I have eightor nine different bucks doing
(23:48):
the exact same thing and all thescrapes they're not scraping,
which is weird, and I wasconfused by it too and like wow,
that branch was like demolished, like I went over by it, and
I'm like they're scraping, butthey're not actually scraping,
they're just licking and eatingand breaking branches.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
So I have.
I have the explanation for that, if you want to know what's
that.
Well, yes, when the dirt is drylike that, it doesn't hold the
scent.
When a buck urinates or scrapeshis tarsal glands on it, the
moisture has to be in the dirtfor them to actually it actually
(24:29):
holds.
If you have ever had a dog, Igot beagles.
Whenever it's wet outside, theypick up the scent of anything
that's been through there superquick.
If the air is dry, itdissipates very fast.
Moisture holds scent, so buckswon't waste their time when the
ground is dry.
They kick dirt and make ascrape and piss in it, because
(24:50):
it don't make any sense for themto do it.
Okay, so that's why you'rehaving those branches chewed.
The ground is too dry.
That's why you don't havescrapes.
End of that story.
Uh, when you're, when you'rehunting, scrape.
When you're hunting a rub line,like mike says, he's hunting a
rub line, don't worry aboutscrapes right now.
Anyway, the ruts on, the rutson.
(25:11):
I drove all the way up from themidwest, all the way back here.
I must have counted 55, 60 deaddeer and saw one live, one
clear, four freaking lanes oftraffic right in front of us.
Wow, so the rut is on.
I've got bucks chasing here.
Um I it now's.
Now's the time where you justsit and hope and pray, something
big walks out from another area.
(25:31):
That's, that's in your spot.
Don't worry about scrapes rightnow.
Scrapes the scrapes are aredone.
They may come and open them upafter a rain or whatever again,
but don't, don't worry aboutthat.
Just sit, sit on the maintrails, sit near the thickets
where the does are bedding.
Good, I I'm in their bedroomsright now.
Where I am.
I rushed back home because Iwasn't doing good in Ohio so I
(25:55):
had pictures of bucks runningaround in here.
I said we got to get back home.
So we rushed back up.
We drove 10 hours back up a dayearly.
The buck that Quentin shot Ihad in front of me well, in back
of me that morning, and I justkind of looked at it and I said,
(26:17):
well, maybe it'll go to my son.
So I was kind of like moved alittle bit and he snorted at me
and took off towards my son.
I was hoping my son would shootit and he saw it.
It went by him again and thefunny story was we had got back
out there in the afternoon and,uh, we got on this Ridge that we
(26:38):
were hunting where the bowl isand Quentin was down in the bowl
where he had went and we wishedeach other good luck when we
got in there and then he said,hey, I shot a buck.
And I texted my son and I sayshow much you want to make a bet?
It's that eight pointer, we sawit this morning.
And he says you think so.
I says yeah, I think it is so.
When he drove up at the end ofthe day I said, son, of a gun,
(27:00):
look at that, that's the one youknow.
And I was so happy for himbecause he got up.
It was it poured that night fora while and we were in the tent.
He was in his tent and I heardhim get up super early because
he had to walk like 30 minutespast where we were to get to his
spot.
And I says, yeah, this, thisguy man, he's, he's going to do
(27:24):
it today.
I got a feeling he's going todo it and we talked a little bit
back through the afternoon andwhen he came back with that buck
, I says you know, it was meantto be.
It was just meant to be that heended up with that deer and he
put his time in and he, you know, had his cameras down in there
and stuff, and you know it waswell-deserved, it was good to
(27:44):
see him get what he was afterand he made a great shot on the
doe.
Uh, the day before there um was,he came back up, showed us the
video.
We were like holy cow, yousnuck it right past that limb.
So he, he did great and youknow when you're shooting good
products like warhead arrows andwreck broadheads, that's easy
to do.
So, uh, but anyway, back towhat happened with us.
(28:08):
We, we got out there.
Like I said, we drove out.
We were there a little bitafter Quentin got there, a
little bit longer of a ride.
We got 10 hours to get downthere.
Beautiful country down there,great hospitality.
I couldn't have been happier.
Jason was a great host.
His wife went out of her way tomake sure that we had food and
(28:28):
you know they said if you don'twant to stay in a tent, come on
in the house.
And you know it was just a nicetime, good camaraderie.
You know Quentin was all right,he's, he's okay, guy.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Yeah, that's all right, squatch, I'll.
I'll keep you on my back for alittle bit more.
Yeah, you keep you keep.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
You keep carrying the old squats here.
But, uh, you know, it was agood time.
It was a good time we have.
We had a lot of fun, we shareda lot of stories and, uh, we
actually went out to dinner withthe uh, the owner of Warhead
arrows, and Jason, who's partowner, and had a nice dinner.
We were, you know, thank themfor that.
It was a nice time and, youknow, it was just just a good
(29:07):
experience.
But, like I said, I and youknow it was just a good
experience.
But, like I said, I got bucksrunning around here and you know
, the weather was the bigdampener on everything.
If it had been a lot cooler Ithink we would have did a little
better.
We did see a huge buck on aneighbor's front lawn as we were
driving over to where we wentin.
(29:28):
The thing had to be oh my gosh.
Jason had pictures of him onhis trail camera.
It was a big, tall eight, butwe saw him.
So we were getting hopeful thathe'd come up the ridge but
never saw him and, like I said,we just beat feet.
We wanted to get back home.
We knew we had some colderweather up here and we seen deer
moving.
So we were like hey, let's bugout a day early, and you know
(29:50):
see what happens up here.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
So you know, first of all, for some reason my Wi-Fi
is just awful.
Today I only caught part ofthat squash, so I'm hoping the
the what's his face is doingwhat it's supposed to do and
still catching every like.
(30:12):
For me, everything is justridiculous.
Even I keep going and circling,I imagine.
So I can only imagine what youguys hear from me.
Um, but um, from what I heard,that sounds like a, a, a great
time.
Um, I'm happy for you guys,happy to free for you back and
hopefully you can now take onedown in in New York, yeah.
(30:36):
Now we're going to, we're goingto head into Connecticut and man
, another, another beauty down.
Speaker 5 (30:45):
Yeah, he was a.
He was a good one, he was abuck that I had gotten.
So for those of you that don'tknow, I was in Illinois last
year, came back, came back eastand so pretty much when I got,
when I got right back home, Ihad a couple of cameras left out
(31:06):
at home for my father to check,because my dad, my dad hunts
the property as well, and soleft a couple cameras up there,
went and pulled them at the endof the season and I got pictures
of this buck.
He was just a big bodied sixpointer.
You just, I'd seen, I'd seenthese genetics before.
Um, real long beams, nice twos,decent threes, you know, but no
(31:27):
, no real brow times or anything.
But I got a picture of thatdeer on january 18th.
There was snow on the groundand uh, so I kind of knew he was
in the area, went into theseason and, I'll be honest, my
prep for the season wasn't verygood.
Um, I got into competitive bassfishing and ended up fishing
(31:53):
for the TBF of Connecticut, thenational semifinal up in
Champlain, and I ended upwinning that.
So we've got nationals in March.
So my whole early season waskind of eaten up with fishing.
So I didn't hit the woods untilOctober, like mid October.
I think October 13th or 14thwas the first time I sat in a
(32:16):
tree, so I was.
It was real, really weird.
Um, I only had two cameras outum on this property this entire
year, where usually I'm runningfour or five.
And I got a.
I got one camera out in themiddle of July, went back,
checked it in August and hadsome bucks moving through, and
(32:39):
then checked it again in October.
On that first set, two daysbefore opener, this buck moved,
moved through the valley Valleyand I got I got the hard horn
picture of him and I said, allright, he's, he's wanting to
shoot.
Never got another picture ofanother buck after that.
Everything was dry, totally dry.
(33:00):
So I was kind of not superoptimistic about the season.
But I mean, as Squatch said,the, the rut's on, so they're
just up and moving.
And uh, it was yesterday Ihunted.
I hunted yesterday morning.
I thought it was going tohappen.
You know, first thing in themorning it was 28 degrees here
(33:21):
and you know, a light wind,everything was perfect.
I didn't see a thing.
Not a thing was moving.
And so 10 o'clock rolled around, the?
Um, our neighbor startedworking with his excavator.
So all I could hear was justthe excavator going, dropping
rocks on everything.
Uh.
So I got down, regrouped,grabbed, grabbed a bite to eat
(33:44):
and uh, I was actually, you know, going back and forth with
myself, hemming and hawing.
Should I, should I go out andhunt this afternoon?
Because you know there's um,the people in the neighborhoods
have got their leaf blowersgoing, the excavators going,
dropping rocks everywhere.
So, and in my head, I'm going,you know what, if it is the rut,
those bucks are not going togive, they're not going to give
(34:06):
a crap whether or notsomething's going on.
That's not.
I actively chase them.
You know they're, they're notgoing to pay any mind to, to the
noise that's going on, thatthey're pretty much already used
to.
You know, hunting, hunting thesuburbs.
So I get back up into the treeand I think I got in the tree
about 130 and 145.
(34:27):
I look up, here comes this halfrack right right down the
Valley coming, uh, uh, coming atme, and then he veers off, goes
up, goes up the ridge where Iwalked in on.
He hits my track and he stopsand he just starts licking his
nose, just licking.
He's trying to, he's trying tomoisten his nose to pick up
those scent molecules, rightlike squash, talked about how
(34:49):
that uh liquid holds a scent.
And he was trying really,really hard to pick up a scent.
And he kept kind of looking mydirection but couldn't really
tell.
Nose to the ground and the sunwas hitting him just right, I
could see that, that, thatmoisture from his nose just
dripping off the nose.
He was trying real hard tofigure out what I was and
(35:09):
eventually he blew.
He didn't take off running, hejust blew.
He blew three or four times,kind of looked around, turned
back and went away from meacross the ridge.
So he didn't go where he wantedto, but he ended up working off
.
So I thought, oh, that thatmight do it for the might do it
for the day wasn't really sure,nothing else was going on, it
(35:31):
was real quiet.
Um, and then I then I couldhear something walking and I
said, okay, that could be asquirrel, could be a deer, I'm
not 100 sure.
And then I hear the just a likeconsistent.
I'm like all right, no, that'sdefinitely a deer.
So I poke, I'm hunting out,hunting out of the saddle.
So I poke my head around thetree and I just see this frame
(35:53):
just kind of turn against thetree and I'm like, oh okay, here
we go and I get the camera on,turn every turn, the second
angle on and everything, grabthe bow.
And it was kind of one of thosethings where, where he was
coming from, he was right behindthe tree that I was in and so
he's kind of coming right at me,decides to go one way, so I'm
(36:15):
trying to get myself turnedaround.
Decides he's going to go theother way.
So now I got to turn myselfback around.
The second angle lookshilarious.
I look like I'm you know youcan put like, uh, some funny
music to it and it would just behilarious spin around in the
tree.
But he finally commits to atrail and he's coming down.
So it was actually the sametrail that I got the picture of
(36:35):
him on September 13th.
He was walking in the exactsame spot, and so he's coming
down, coming down.
I get probably 10, 15 secondsof footage of him walking
through and then I'm like, allright, he's going to end up
right in this opening, righthere.
So I turn, I kind of zoom outthe camera a little bit, get it
on that spot and then I'm justwaiting and he walks through and
(37:00):
I gave him the meh right, Ijust kind of meh'd at him to get
him to stop.
I think he would have stoppedanyway.
I think he was going to stop.
But you know, it is what it is.
He kind of picked his head up,um, I buried, buried my pin and
I shot and I hit him and atfirst I thought I shoulder hit
him, just because the, thepenetration I saw didn't look
(37:23):
the best.
Um, but I mean he, he took offrunning.
I saw the arrow kick out of himand so I'm watching him and I
get the camera back on him.
He runs probably about 60 yardsor so and he literally snow
plows into the ground.
He snow plows into the ground,picks his head up, kind of looks
around, gets back up and thenhis tail just starts flailing
(37:47):
like this back and forth.
I said, okay, he's hit good,he's.
Can see it on the, you can seeit on the video.
He starts walking and he's gotthat limp to it and I mean blood
.
Every, every time he takes astep, you can just see blood
coming out of the side.
So I knew he was hit good andhe kind of gets lower and lower
and lower.
And where I ended up findinghim he was, his nose was
(38:11):
basically right up against arock wall, like he.
He got to the rock wall and hesaid no, I can't make it over
that.
He just bedded down right thereand he was done.
Um.
So when I cleaned, so um, andthank god, thank god for good
neighbors, because I text I uhsent a note to the, to the
neighbor, and I said hey, youknow, shot a buck, he ran, he
ran down this way, um, justwanted to let you know if you
(38:33):
see, see me down there, likethat's what I'm doing.
He's like oh, okay.
So I sent him a picture of the,the, the deer and everything.
He's like oh, I know exactlywhere you are.
Do you want me to bring the,the front loader down?
And we'll just put them inthere and take them down?
I'm like please, please, forthe love of God.
So I so get them, get them alldressed out, and instead of
dragging him 300 yards up a hilland down a hill, I just had to
(39:02):
drag them 80 yards to a road andloaded them in the front loader
and wheeled them right down tothe house.
Speaker 4 (39:06):
Nice, it was good it was good.
Speaker 5 (39:08):
And I had.
I had skin when I skinned himout my broadhead.
I had skinned when I skinnedhim out my broadhead, so it
missed the front scapula but itsmashed into the backside one.
That whole offside shoulder wasabsolutely torn to shreds
because every time he moved thatbroadhead was just in there
cutting everything apart and soit broke off and hit the offside
(39:32):
, stuck in it a little bit,broke off and I found the front
half of the arrow when I wascleaning them out.
But thankfully no cuts on myhands.
But yeah, that offside frontshoulder was pretty much
unsalvageable.
I couldn't get anything reallyoff of it because it was just
torn to shreds.
(39:52):
But it was a good hunt and, uh,a good deer my, my widest deer,
according to my record book hewas.
He was, uh, just a touch, atouch over.
What was he?
20 inches wide, he was like 20and two eighths wide, something
like that.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
So he was he was a good deer.
How much did he weigh that?
Speaker 5 (40:13):
deer was 186 pounds dressed, so he was probably 200
plus walking around between 220,30 to 40 pounds of guts.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Yeah, yeah, he was.
He was a, he was a brute.
His.
I met you, you're a.
You're a pretty tall, big guyand I can see the picture right
now I'm looking at it youkneeling down behind him.
Yeah, that's a stud, that's anice buck.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (40:40):
His neck was bigger than his chest.
I'd never seen a neck thatswollen on a buck before he was
rutted up.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
For sure he didn't smell though, which was
interesting, his hocks weren'tblack.
No, yeah, was rotted up forsure.
He didn't smell, though, whichwas interesting, his hocks
weren't black.
No, yeah, my neighbor, myneighbor up the road here, got a
really nice eight pointer,about 18 inch spread, 210
pounder.
Yeah, the hocks were dark, darkblack stunk that's what I'm
saying.
They're.
Speaker 5 (41:07):
They're in rut, but every place is different, you
know, yeah, well, but that wasthe thing was that he was
cruising so I was looking at myum.
So I use hunt stand, yeah, andyou know how like.
So you look at hunt stand ordrury outdoors or spartan, for
whatever it is.
They show you like the peakgame activity time.
Uh, hunt stand had peakactivity at 3 pm.
I shot that buck at 305, sothey got.
(41:30):
They got something right, Idon't I don't know what
algorithm they use, but rumor
Speaker 2 (41:37):
rumor has it that eight pointer you shots, pissed
and suing them because he saidhe was just following what they
told him to do.
Speaker 5 (41:46):
Not much.
Not much Now that he's in myfreezer.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
Now this is.
This is the same place whereyou shot your last buck, right?
Speaker 5 (41:59):
So that was the exact same tree.
It was the same tree that Ishot Hank out of.
So when you see the video, ifyou pan 20 yards to the left,
that would be where I shot Hanktwo years ago.
So it's that.
(42:20):
The thing about that property,or this property, after hunting
it for 15 years now, is that Ican really sit in one of two
spots, and that's that's reallyall I gotta say, because it's
just a hub where all thesetrails funnel together.
How the deer come off theopposite ridge or down this
valley, they all kind ofintersect in this one little
(42:42):
area.
So that, and that tree isreally the best tree that gives
me the best shot at multipletrails as they're coming through
now.
Granted, sometimes they take,you know, trail c, which is 60
yards that way, and I don't geta shot.
But the fact that I've gottrail a, b, c, f and g right
here, it's a higher probabilityspot.
(43:02):
So it's just a matter of time.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
Yeah you know if, if connecticut had more public land
?
I mean, these deer putConnecticut on the map of a
sleeper state.
Speaker 5 (43:16):
They so we that's.
The thing is that we we do haveactually a lot of public, it's
just not very big.
So so I worked, so I worked umwork for the state in the
wildlife division and I know ourland acquisition lady really,
really well and what happens isthese people you know, loved
(43:39):
ones pass away or whatever, andthe state buys this property and
it's open to hunting, but it'sonly like 80 90 acres at a time.
So unless you have one of thosehunting apps or you go on the
state's website and looked atthe updated map, you would never
even know these places existed.
Speaker 3 (43:57):
Oh, wow, really yeah.
Speaker 5 (44:00):
I have one of the largest state forests in the
state.
It's like 12,000 acres orsomething like that, you know,
just up the road, but it's funnybecause it's all different kind
of parcels.
Now, the trick is, though, isthat we have a large population
of mountain bikers here thatlove to make trails everywhere,
(44:23):
so you really have to work hardto find those secret little
honey hole spots that doesn'thave a mountain bike trail in it
.
That's one of the hard parts.
We do have public land.
Might any any of you ever wantto try?
Come try and try.
Speaker 4 (44:38):
oh, let me know, because I've got plenty of spots
we can try.
Speaker 5 (44:44):
It's just a matter of you know.
If we see people in blaze, pinkwalking their dog, don't be
surprised.
But but they're there.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
I mean, listen, it's I'm thinking definitely, you
know, taking a trip toConnecticut next year for for
sure.
I mean it's on the bucket, it'sright there, I mean it's, it's
so close.
For for me, I love, you knowI've played hockey there all my
life and you know I've alwaysdriven, I always drive by and
everything like that.
So Connecticut is on is a statethat I do want to hunt,
(45:15):
especially on the east coast.
I want to eventually be able tokill a deer, especially
everyone on the east coast.
I don't know if I'll be able toget to all, you know majority
of the states, but definitelyeast coast.
I think that's a that's goingto be the the first goal here.
And you know, with connecticutright there, like, just like for
delaware, delaware is justright down there.
It takes me two hours to to getto delaware.
(45:36):
I can be in connecticut inabout an hour and a half, maybe
even less.
Honestly, um so, um, definitely, definitely gonna have to to to
hit connecticut up, um nextyear.
But, guys, I mean it is, it'son the rut's on, meg.
Congratulations yet again, itwas great to see Quinn.
(46:01):
Congrats on your first Ohiobuck.
Thank you and you know Paul yetagain, another stud down for you
.
And you know, always enjoy whenyou kill something big and
everything like that.
Uh, you know this.
Uh, I'll say, all three of youguys and you know, of course,
with squash and everything likethat, like, appreciate.
(46:22):
You know the friendship we'veall made now at this point and
the support that we all showeach other and everything like
that.
I definitely love the huntingcommunity for this big reason.
And you know, for anyone outthere that's looking to, you
know that are trying to find acommunity, listen, we're, we're,
we're pretty cool, we're prettyopen and you know we're really
supportive people.
And oh, quentin, one thing Iwanted to ask.
(46:44):
So I'm guessing the shoulder isfeeling good, because I know
when we're talking last time, uh, you're having some shoulder
injuries.
You used to crossbonesbeginning of the season.
How's it feel now to you know,is the shoulder fully healed?
Speaker 4 (46:57):
And I know you got to be pretty happy to be able to
use the carbon spider again,it's usually my back that gives
me all the issues just withhauling and climbing stands and
all my stands and whatnot.
So it's usually my back thatgives me the most issue.
But I've been trying to pushthrough it to use my compound
again because I don't know,there's just something about
(47:18):
being able to pull back your bowand letting that arrow fly out
of your compound is I don't knowit's.
It's something different,especially just being able to
make it all come together andyou know whatever else.
But I'm not afraid to use acrossbow, like there's been
times where I've been out withmy crossbow and whatnot.
(47:39):
So if I'm able to keep gettingin the woods either using my
compound or crossbow, I'm I'mgonna use either one, depending
on how I feel you know, yeah,listen, I mean, I, I get that.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
I I want a whole season using the crossbow and
you're right, there's just adifferent.
There's just a differentfeeling.
Um, you know, but getting outthere is the most important
thing.
Get, you know, just go outthere, have fun.
Um, you know, I just lovehunting, I mean, as much as
listen I'm not a gun hunter likeI don't really gun hunt like
(48:15):
what, like for six day I'mactually.
I'm like I've told myself fromnow on for six days of the year
for new jersey I'm gonna go huntwith a gun.
When I go to maine I'm mostlikely gonna bring a gun.
I think eventually want to trysick a deer in maryland and best
believe I'm bringing a gunbecause I heard how hard it is
hunting sick a deer, like if I'mspending all that time and
(48:38):
money and everything that I amgoing to bring a gun because I
want to.
You know, make that, make thatcount.
And you know, after I get Isaid I always tell people after
I kill something once then, uh,you know, the bow will start to
come in play and that's whenI'll probably chase something.
I will not shoot another bearwith a gun, a hundred percent
will not.
I will shoot one with the withthe bow.
(49:01):
That that's the goal.
But if a bear walks out six day, I gotta do my management part
as a new jersey hunter, right?
So I guess I'm I'm have to, youknow, take a shot if anyone.
But you know it's justsomething that just out there,
have fun, everyone out there.
(49:24):
You know, enjoy what you do,even if you're shooting a spike.
Listen, I think if it gets youfired up and I saw a spike the
other day that got me fired upand I just wanted to, I wanted
to shoot it, I just wanted toshoot it, so exactly.
But you know, if it gets youfired up, go for it.
You know and you know love whatwe do and, guys, it was a
pleasure to get you on Any lastwords from you guys.
Speaker 4 (49:54):
Like the buck that I harvested in Ohio.
I'm going to admit I had somegiants on camera moving daylight
when I pulled my cameras onSaturday, 20 yards from an
absolute stud I mean standingthere looking at me.
But the deer that I harvestedwas actually a very, very
meaningful deer and at the timeit didn't register in my head
(50:17):
until I got back on top of theridge and the first notification
that finally posted on my phonewas in 2018, I had lost my best
friend to suicide and the firstdeer that come in was just a
scraggly looking five pointerand it had significant meaning
to me because November 1st 2018,six o'clock at night, I shot
(50:42):
that buck.
I shot a buck.
November 1st, six o'clock, Ishot this eight pointer and if
that ain't a sign from upstairsfrom him like this is your deer,
you know, like I told Squatchand Jason that had there been
leaves in my tree, there weren'tno leaves in my tree.
(51:03):
After that deer was shotbecause I shook my tree, was the
only tree shaking and wouldn'ttrade that feeling for anything
else.
Like that deer made me super,super proud and I'm not gonna
lie.
After everybody went to bed, Isat in my tent and I I cried
because it it it made me trulyhappy that I was able to get it
(51:27):
done at the same exact time.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
It it's just crazy how it works that way things
happen for a reason, you know,and you know that that's
definitely, definitely a sign.
And, you know, before we we getup, you know you got to tell
people it wasn't a real tent, itwas a nice it was.
Speaker 5 (51:48):
You brought your, your ice shack it was really
cool, I'm not going to lie.
You pitched up in the backyardwith a nice ice shack.
Speaker 1 (51:58):
No, no, it was a thermal ice shack.
Speaker 4 (52:04):
Yeah, a thermal ice shack Six foot by 12 foot long,
so I could have fit a bunch offamilies inside my ice shack.
Speaker 1 (52:11):
It looked comfy.
Speaker 4 (52:13):
Very, very, very, very comfy did.
Speaker 1 (52:18):
Uh.
Did it get cold enough for youto put the heater on, or no, you
were just good well, I had theheater.
Speaker 4 (52:25):
My dumb ass didn't fill the propane tank before I
left home, so so I used it thefirst night and I was warm as
hell in the ice shack the firstnight and when it got cold like
30 degrees I didn't have heat,but I luckily had my Milwaukee
(52:46):
heated vest, so I slept withthat the first, the second night
and then the third night whenit was even colder.
I'm like nope, I'm going inJason's house.
I slept comfy on a couch.
Speaker 1 (52:59):
Oh man, well, on, on that note, we'll.
We'll end it here.
I mean, guys, thank you so muchfor coming on.
Everyone you know.
I hope you guys enjoyed thisepisode.
The rut is on.
Good luck to to anyone outthere hunting and, you know,
hope you guys have tons ofsuccess and we'll see you guys
next week.
(53:19):
And before we also get off, thisis episode 198.
We're two away from 200.
We're going to be filming forour Field Notes.
Next week we will be recordingour 200th episode, so it's going
to be a big one.
Uh, we're going to be doing abunch of giveaways and and
things like that.
(53:40):
This, that one, that one'sprobably going to be a long
episode, um, so anyone who wantsto also come on too, the, the
invite is going to be open.
Uh, you guys can come on,anything like that.
It's going to be probably thesame time as as today, start
time at eight o'clock.
But 200 episodes pretty bigmilestone.
So I'm pretty excited and andeverything like that.
(54:02):
Hopefully we've killed a bunchof big bucks, so we have even
more to talk about and I'mtrying, I'm hoping the, the guy
that um shot Jersey's recordblack bear is going to be on as
well.
You know he said that he'spretty free and available, so
hopefully, yeah, 777 pounds.
(54:22):
Wow, I think we're talking 900pounds living weight, 900 pounds
living weight.
And he was.
Peyton was in line with him andPeyton saw it in person and I'm
pissed.
I didn't go to the check-instation because I was going to
(54:44):
go to the check-in station, butI decided to not go and go break
down camp and I could have sawthat monster in person.
Speaker 4 (54:53):
That is insane.
That bear had to like roll in,like how the hell could it walk?
I?
Speaker 1 (55:01):
don't know.
We are going to find out.
I heard, um, that there isanother bear the same size, so I
believe that that's the rumoron the street.
Um, that's the rumor on thestreet, that's what I've heard,
and this will be, I think, thesecond Black bear that's been.
Now this will take, I think,number One, but I think we in
(55:23):
New Jersey has Two or threebears that Are like in the top
five for biggest, like all time.
So now this is going to be thebiggest and I think there's.
We had one that was the numberthree or something like that.
Um, yeah, new jersey has bigblood and so does north carolina
.
So, like those, those are these, us in north carolina, like, if
(55:45):
you want to kill big bears orsee a lot of bears, definitely a
kind.
You know, I know quit and you,you've talked about it and we've
talked about it and everythinglike that um thank you know
peyton's bear was was a big beartoo.
Um, the last two bears that he'skilled have been have been huge
and everything like that.
Um, so when does your guys onthe map?
Speaker 4 (56:06):
when does your guys's season open for bear?
Speaker 1 (56:10):
I don't, I don't even want to get into that debacle,
honestly, because it's only fora week and it's a pain and it's
a pain in the butt and then wewon't have another one until
december 9th it's the same dayas 16, six day gun season, um,
so we literally have a grandtotal of 12 days to hunt bears.
(56:32):
Not over bait it's be hundredyards off of bait, which I don't
like, which I don't mind, but Ido enjoy, like doing the
baiting process with bearbecause I think it's so unique
and it's so fun and you get tokind of like you get donuts and
you can get all these otherthings that you're you're not
(56:52):
going to do with deer and Ithink it's kind of fun like
you're throwing, like I throwcenter around, like I'm using
all the wackiest scent andsyrups and and honey, like I.
I think that's so cool and thefact that new jersey, like yeah,
you can bait, but listen, I atthat point I'm not really going
to, I'm not not wasting my time,uh time anymore with baiting.
(57:13):
Have you had deer come into?
Speaker 4 (57:20):
your bear baits at all or no?
Honestly no, no, I don't thinkI ever have.
I'll have deer come into mybear baits and they'll actually
grab a full donut and walk awaywith it.
You'll get them off camera,like back behind the bear bait
eating the actual donut.
I'm like, oh, no longer baitingwith donuts.
Speaker 1 (57:42):
Yeah, no, I've never seen it.
I don't know if anyone else outhere in Jersey or anyone else
who baits have seen that.
I'm wondering maybe it doesn'thappen as often in new jersey
just because of how denselypopulated our state is with
bears.
So you're usually on a bear andyou know, probably with you
guys too and everything likethat, but there's just so many
bears on a site and everythinglike that, like they just
(58:04):
straight up just avoid it, whilevice versa, when you're baiting
for deer, you'll get a bit likeI've we've had bear and deer on
the camera, but it's one bear,one deer and they kind of like.
But bear bear baits usuallyfive, six, seven bears sometimes
, and they're always.
And once the big boars come in,which is pretty often, you know
(58:25):
, um, I just don't know how muchdo you really want to to take
that risk on?
You know, yet again, you look atnew jersey's.
We're such a smaller state,we're, we're a small state.
So you know, I I think, maybejust because of that how compact
everything is.
Maybe the deer just don't evenbother.
But yeah, I've seen deer eatchips.
(58:45):
I've seen, I think I've seen avideo of a deer eating a
squirrel or a bird or somethinglike that.
I just, yeah, I've seen deereat a lot of things.
Like they're opportunists forfor sure when it comes to eating
that's.
That's what I've heard too.
Yeah, so all right, guys.
On that note, I know ourlisteners are always tired of us
(59:08):
talking about bears, like, Ithink, almost every episode we
get into to bear talk.
But thank you guys yet againand we'll see you guys next time
.
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