March 31, 2025 • 58 mins
Ryan Canton shares his 25-year journey hunting in New Jersey, from traditional bowhunting to mushroom foraging, and his experiences adapting to different outdoor environments.
• Hunting primarily in New Jersey with some time spent pursuing big bucks in Iowa
• Transitioning from compound bow to traditional bow hunting for a greater challenge
• Successfully harvesting two does with traditional bow equipment on opening day
• Finding mushrooms by identifying the right tree species - particularly declining ash, elm, and apple trees
• How natural food sources like acorn drops produce better hunting results than bait piles
• Comparing pheasant hunting between Iowa's open spaces and New Jersey's crowded public lands
• Working at a commercial shooting preserve guiding hunts and managing the property
• Saltwater fishing experiences including catching a massive mako shark
• Strategies for introducing new people to hunting through mentor programs
Find what makes your outdoor location special - "Anywhere you go, you can find something to get into."
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the Garden State Outdoors and
Podcast presented by BoondockHunting.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
That's why your tagline Mike JCL known perfect.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
You don't know what that mountain's going to bring.
You don't know what thatmountain's going to bring.
I accidentally drifted my canoebetween a sow and a cub and
she's like charged and hit theback of the canoe.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
His head hit the ground before his ass did.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Begging and begging and crying to go with my
grandfather, go with my fatheron these deer drives.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You know, the last trip over I shot a great Cape
Buffalo with my bow Chargingbluegrass and then the whooping.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
And then you hear a body drop.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Welcome everybody to the Garden State Outdoorsman
Podcast.
I am your host, frank Mastica.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I'm your co-host, Mike Nitre.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
And today we have a very special guest, Mr Ryan
Canton.
Ryan, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
What's happening, guys?
Thanks for having me on here.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Welcome back Ryan.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yep, Sorry about the mix-up earlier.
It's all good though.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Funny thing, everyone Frank screwed up and forgot to
hit the record button, but weonly got like five minutes in,
so it's all good.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yep, thank God I realized it early.
Hey, it's only my second onedoing the host, so You're doing
better than me Real quick.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
don't mind that I'm eating.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Go for it.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Bianca got a banoffee .
Banoffee how do you say it?
Banoffee banoffee pie.
It's her favorite, but you knowI have no choice but to eat
this now, since it's alreadypast the time where I eat um, so
I can't wait any later, so I'mgonna be stuffing my mouth full
of don't need a high co-hostexactly take it away frank right
(01:45):
.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
So, Ryan, welcome to the show.
I appreciate you coming on bud.
I appreciate having me here man, absolutely so, ryan, let's do
this again.
So why don't you give us alittle background on you, like
how you got brought into it?
Just the floor is yours, sojust start wherever you want I'm
(02:06):
here.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I hunt almost exclusively in new jersey.
I spent a little bit of timeout in the midwest in iowa, so I
was hunting big when I was outthere, for sure.
But I've been hunting here for25 years, fishing since I could
walk, uh really exploring everyinch of new jersey that I could
venture over in a pa.
A little bit for the fishingand stuff, but not so much of
the hunting.
A lot of deer hunting.
(02:29):
I got a dog, so I do a lot ofbird hunting, small game hunting
and that kind of thing, andthen just always outside
tromping through the woods, shedhunting right now getting ready
for the spring run for thestriped bass and the shad to
start up.
So there's always something tobe doing outside.
I know you guys were talkingturkey earlier.
That's one thing I haven'tgotten into.
I'm out there and see what'sgoing on and feel like I could
(02:51):
put it together.
I just haven't followed throughon that one yet yeah, yeah, no,
definitely it's.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Uh, you know it's big season.
I haven't, actually I haven'teven been out scouting yet for
turkey.
I know it's.
It's getting close.
So for me it will start umapril 26th up by me because I
only do period a for jersey butum, I'll basically be mostly
focusing on hunting um our state, um our property, upstate new
(03:21):
york.
So that starts may 1st, so I'mlooking forward to that.
I haven't even been therescouting, but I know I usually
always have turkeys up there, so, and I know Mike just got out
today, so he's all pumped andready to go.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yep, yep, I'm looking to get my first bird.
Uh.
So, ryan, I mean I just I'vedabbled in turkey hunting in the
past and I can really never sayI was a turkey hunter.
Last year I fully committed,got the scouting done, was
scouting actual birds and seeingsign and actually got on I
(03:57):
think almost every hunt I was onbirds.
I just couldn't close a deal.
I missed one bird.
I misjudged the range and itwas a little farther than I
thought it was shot under it.
So it's kind of like you, likeI just didn't do it.
Yep.
So I mean now I can say I don'twant to.
(04:20):
You know I get.
You know it's hard.
It must be hard, especially foryou.
You do a lot of salt waterfishing, you know you, you fly
fish and everything like that.
Like to throw turkeys in there.
And now also I gotta saycongratulations on on your, uh,
your second child, correct?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
yeah yeah, putting a little damper on some of the
hobbies, but hey welcome to theclub.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
I don't know if your, your wife, might kill you if
you pick up another hobby liketurkey, because it is.
I will say, once you learn itand you, you understand it and
you get on birds, like I canunderstand why people it's, it's
a lot of fun.
The only cool thing is like youhave till 12 and that's it yeah
, yeah 100.
I really should do it, I mean,I've got diaphragms and slate
(05:05):
calls laying around.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I've got all the camo and gut the thing I need.
I don't have decoys or nothing,but like I don't know, it's
just if I'm gonna do it.
I want to like really get intoit and do it and I don't have
that kind of time right nowlisten.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
No, I get it.
But I'm telling you what, onceyou do get into it, once you
hear that first gobble in themorning, oh man, you're going to
be hooked.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I could get you fired up.
Yeah, I know, I mean justcalling and playing around.
It's like that's what I'mworried about, because then I
get hooked on it and I'm likeballs deep and that's all I want
to do all spring.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
So this time of year, yeah, no, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
So this time of of year, what do you mostly focus
on?
I know we talked a little bityou were telling me about you
know you go out there, you lookfor mushrooms and you know, I
know that you're a big flyfisherman and all that.
So why don't you give us alittle background?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I do a lot of fly fishing, trout fishing, mostly
with the fly rod, uh, freshwaterbass fishing.
I do a couple of the local likebass leagues with one of my
buddies on Sundays and thenreally the last five, six years
most of my time has been spentstraight bass fishing, whether
uh from the shore out in thekayak.
I've been out a couple timesthis spring already.
Hop on a friend's boat anychance I get and then uh come,
(06:25):
like april, into may, when I gota few select days, I'll go hit
my spots and go out mushroomhunting.
But my shed hunting's startingto wrap up and I'm pretty much
geared up for, uh, the stripedbass right now yeah, no, I hear
you, I haven't even, I haven'teven been out before, real quick
, before we move on.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
When you go out for mushrooms for somebody who
doesn't know how to do it andthen also anyone who's looking
to get into it what is one ofyour recommendations?
Where should you look?
Are you just walking out?
Are there specific spots likemaybe a more sunnier area or
maybe a more shady area?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
specific spots, like maybe a more sunnier area, maybe
a more shady area there's.
That's both viable options atdifferent times of the season.
Depends on what type ofmushrooms you're looking for too
.
I mean you kind of it's likedeer hunting and fishing.
You get that that feel likeit's the right spot, and that's
the same kind of thing that'sbased on the plants and the soil
and everything's there.
Learning your trees, trees Ithink your tree identification
would be your best help intrying to find mushrooms Like
(07:31):
different mushrooms, likedifferent species of trees.
I know the morels, the big ones.
They really like apple treesand elm trees, the ash trees
they used to like them a lot butthey're starting to become more
and more scarce.
But look for trees that aren'tquite a hundred percent healthy.
If they're like a little bitdying, then you know some kind
of fungus is there attacking itand feeding off really worth a
(07:54):
look very interesting
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I, I know I, I did not know that at all.
That's a pretty interestingtake.
I uh, yeah, how'd you get intothat?
Like so, like how?
How did you like?
Was that something your, yourfamily, you know, passed down
from generations, like something?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
I heard about my mom and stuff doing it like on her
family farm in wisconsin growingup and then we find a few as
kids and like we get excitedwhen we found them and then I
never really did it much growingup and then as time progressed
and I learned more about theoutdoors and the wonderful world
it is.
It was like something to go andlook for and something else to
(08:34):
hunt pass some time get get into?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
yeah, no, because I told you my, uh, my uncle does
it.
I just I never got into it.
He just kind of goes off anddoes his own thing and now, like
I know, um one of my otherbuddies, he goes, but I don't.
He's not that familiar with thetrees, so I know he uses like a
bunch of apps and stuff thatthey have now to go out there
(09:00):
and try to find things.
I mean, now you don, I meanthere's basically an app for
everything you know, I don'teven trust those apps half the
time.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
You can take the same picture three times and it
gives you something different.
That's sketchy, yeah really.
But doing your research.
Some of them are pretty good.
They usually help get you closeand a lot of times they're
right.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
But that one time that they're not right wouldn't
be the time.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yeah, not, I wouldn't want to chance it.
Yeah, especially with mushrooms, gosh forbid.
Yeah, most of them are.
I mean, if you aren't sure,then just leave it there.
There's a handful, they arepretty easy to identify that
what?
you're looking for the morels,the oyster, mushrooms, we get
some other stuff.
That's pretty cool, but that'slike fishing and hunting.
It says, as the spring goes andsummer turns into fall, there's
something different to look for, something different to chase,
(09:51):
and it's all.
It's all connected to.
You kind of get in a loop ofjust all right, it's this time
of year, time to do this yep,it's time of year of different
people.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You know a lot of people.
They got their own things thatthey like to do.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Look in the back of somebody's truck and you're like
I know what they're doing rightnow for the next month or
something.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Yeah, they look at my truck, they're like, oh my God,
he's definitely on it.
But yeah, I mean it's easy, youknow, especially especially this
time of year, because Iactually this year is actually
the first year in a while thatmy wife's like, hey, like I want
to go trout fishing, likeyou're taking me, so that got me
(10:35):
pumped to take her out.
So now I'm gonna, you know,kind of focus on having her and,
uh, her and and, um, my son gofishing, cause you know, usually
when I take them it's all, it'susually all about them, right,
so I just enjoy them having fun.
I put all the pressure onmyself to take them to the right
spot so they catch fish and,you know it, it definitely could
(10:58):
be a lot, but you, you know thedeal, I mean pretty soon, you
know your kids are going to beout there, you know, driving you
crazy, just like mine.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Oh yeah, I mean you do it for yourself, you put the
pressure on, but when you'retrying to get other people into
it, or clients and friends andfamily, then you really start
putting it on yourself.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
No, absolutely, I think it's a different pressure
when you're doing that for sure.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Yeah, yeah, I definitely feel it so, but I
know um, ryan, I saw that youyou do do a lot of deep sea
fishing like I've never been.
So do you like, only do, likeum?
Do you do charters?
Do you go by like offshore,like how?
How do you usually approach it?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
I grew up like going out on the, the head boats and
the charter boats which I'llstill go on with my father like
every summer, just out ofnostalgia.
But uh, surf fishing's been mybig thing the last few years, so
walking on the beach and tryingto find whatever target fish
we're looking for it's usuallystriped bass we're trying to
catch and figure out wherethey're hiding and hanging out,
(12:01):
and just the challenge ofcatching them at night from the
shore it's kind of cool kayakhelps a lot get out and scout in
the kayak fish of that thenight.
Yeah, new york city in thebackground, it's pretty surreal
yeah, no, it sounds it.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
You know, I guess it wouldn't be for me because I'm
not a big ocean person.
But uh, you know, I woulddefinitely.
If I ever tried it, it wouldprobably be like a charter first
and see if I could do it first.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I keep saying I'm going to do it.
Oh, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
What's that I keep saying?
Speaker 1 (12:38):
I'm going to do like um, you know, get more into
saltwater fishing.
But like, think you knowsomething, what you even said.
You know you go on the, youknow the shoreline and
everything like that.
I know that, especially forstripers, like that's been a
really big thing.
Like, um, do you do any?
Um shark fishing too as well?
Speaker 3 (12:58):
uh, I've done it a handful of times.
I've visited a buddy down inflorida.
We caught like a nine ten foothammerhead the one night I was
driving a boat down for work todrop off and hit him up that
night I'm like let's go out andfish.
He had the drone and the rodsand everything.
We did it down there.
That was a pretty coolexperience and we'll catch him
every once in a while if we'rechunking off the front beach
(13:18):
here.
Little stuff Went out.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
I caught a big mako.
That was probably 10 years agonow 110 that was cool.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Wow, what's the fight like on one of those?
It's got to be crazy.
It's what?
Yeah, that was nuts.
It like was launching, I meanclear out of the water tail,
like everything airborne andjust shaking.
I don't even my buddy likeyou're kind of like buckled into
a little a belt and you'restrapped in semi.
But I like went to pull, myfriend grabbed my pants.
He thought I was like going in.
I'd like I got it, but it put,put me through my aces.
(13:57):
I mean that probably took mehalf hour 45 minutes to reel the
thing in I mean your arms musthave been dead after that I mean
.
So that's the thing you got theharness and your straps in so
you can kind of like squat andstart to use your legs and like
use leverage and a littlemechanical advantage.
The rods are built to do theirthing.
They take a lot of that forceout once you figure out how to
(14:18):
use all your gear properly no,it's all right, that's good
enough.
I'm going to have the thing in15 minutes I know I couldn't do
that hey, never, never, neversay
Speaker 2 (14:35):
never.
Oh, that's true right neverthat's true.
Never say never.
Let's talk pheasant, now againso like.
I was going through instagramand I saw that you had a
truckload of pheasants and I'vetwo hunted pheasants quite a bit
in my time, so I was justwondering um do you hunt like
(14:56):
state land?
Are they stock birds?
Do you go to preserves like?
Give us the background on thata little bit a little bit all of
it.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Some of the older pictures were with my springer
that was out in iowa.
Those were all public land freerange birds, which is pretty
cool there's.
I mean they were everywhere.
It was unreal.
And then, uh, I have a lab herethat I hunt with a lot.
I do a lot of public landhunting, um during the weekdays
in the mornings with my friendswhen they stock up at uh p quest
and up at flat broke and stuff.
(15:24):
And then, uh, I'm actuallyfortunate I work at a preserve.
I help manage, uh, a large farmpiece of property that we have
a commercial shooting preserveat.
So I do a lot of the guidingthere and uh during the season
for that, which actually justwrapping up, we got a couple
more days technically of theseason and then we're done for a
little while nice?
Speaker 2 (15:44):
no, because I've too also hunted, uh, flatbrook quite
a bit, and I probably ran intoyou at some point in time past
you, you know so because, um,every time I went um, none of us
have dogs.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
So yeah, you're looking at the dog right here,
you know.
So I've been there before a lotof times they run.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Well, you know the deal that they run you don't see
them, or whatever.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
So even with the dogs , they get out ahead and run and
run it's.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
It's something else watching a good dog work getting
to turn a bird or stop a birdfor you yep, and sometimes they
just hold so tight you know youwalk right by them and you don't
even see them plenty of times,even with the dog.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
I'll walk right by and you'll see the dog, like
when they catch wind or scent.
I have a flushing dog so he'llturn his head and quarter real
hard and like kind of startlooking, trying to hone in on
that, and I'll be like no, no,no, because we already walked by
it with six guys andeverybody's just standing there.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
He'll go back he'll go back.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
He'll go back.
I'll try and yell at him andthen, before you know it, there
pops a hen bird out of the grassthat was just laying there.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
I'm like I knew I should have trusted you, but
whatever so quick question sowork, what is it like working on
a preserve, like what are whatare some of the, some of the
things that you do like on aday-to-day basis and like if
you're you're taking out clientsand stuff like that kind of.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Give us that that breakdown of what that looks
like um, I mean so the preservesjust part of it, like I do all
the maintenance and grounds andgot a crew guy or a crew of guys
that takes care of the propertyand then we'll have big shoots,
uh like driven bird releases onthe weekends and then after
that we'll have guys either withtheir own dogs or members who
(17:25):
are there that want to go on aguided hunt and they'll ask and
sign up through administrationstuff and I mean I'm pretty
friendly and know most of thepeople now go out and do walk-up
hunts and it's it's pretty coolexperience.
We got river, we take the guysfishing, we do a little bit of
everything deer hunting on thefarm, that's pretty cool yeah, I
like that I like that
Speaker 1 (17:46):
a lot I would like to get back into pheasant hunting.
I actually won out of raffleand p?
Um america mike, from back tohim productions, they, they did
a raffle and the only thing Iput in for I put 200 in for the
pheasant hunts and I won.
So I have two.
I have two pheasant hunts.
I didn't have time to get itdone this year, so definitely
(18:06):
next year I will be, we'll bedoing them and everything like
that.
And I would love to get backinto, you know, pheasant hunting
and going out one.
I definitely would want a dogfor that, um yeah, I'm tired of
just just doing it, you know, by, by yourself.
But like doing in new jersey, Ilike I've almost gotten shot a
few times.
So like what for you, thebiggest change from iowa to new
(18:28):
jersey?
I mean, that is completely twoopposite ends of the of the
spectrum.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
When you're, when you're talking about not even
publicly, yeah, yeah, I meanit's world war three out there
in the trenches in new jersey.
Any, it doesn't matter whatstocking day it is, usually
there's guys lined up in thedark in the fields and it's fun.
I still do it with my friends.
We try and I mean everybody'ssafe.
I've never seen an incidenthappen for as many times as I've
(18:53):
been out there.
But it's, you hear shot rainingthrough the trees and there's
guys going in every differentdirection and out west.
I mean there's.
You're ditch hunting and roadhunting a lot of the time and
then hunting these big hundredsand of acres of crp land with
thousands of acres of cut cornaround it, with nothing.
So it's you know the birds arethere and it's you and a couple
(19:15):
buddies and you walk into afield or shut your car door too
loud and 200 birds get up andfly away I couldn't, I couldn't
even imagine.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
You don't even know which bird they aim at.
No, so you can't shoot likewaterfowl hunting.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
It's cool.
So you start having to pickthem out so you can't shoot the
hens and then the roosters.
It's like you end up trophyhunting hunting.
What if you got enough birdsaround?
You're like, all right, thosetail feathers aren't that long,
those ones aren't that long.
All right, there's a big birdand you get these 26, 28,
28-inch, 30-inch tail feathersof three, four, five-year-old
birds.
It's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
I couldn't even imagine.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
I've got them in a tree.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
I shot 31 birds the last year I was out there and I
got all their tail feathersstill saved, or one from each
bird saved in like a littleglass jar on a mantel Pretty
cool.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
That is pretty cool.
What's the limit like out there?
Because I know jersey, it'sonly two a day yeah, it was
three a day and three a day overthere.
Yeah, but still I couldn't evenimagine, because most of the
birds you know you get here,some of them don't even have
pale feathers by the time yousee it, you know there's stock
the night before.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
We're lucky if the birds make it a couple days with
all the predators and stuffaround.
I mean you walk the fields andyou see dead birds there from
the owls the night beforewhacking them and they're flying
out in the field.
But getting a dog that's I meanhunting it's fun for them.
But once you do enough and thenyou get the dog, it's just
about figuring the dog out andthat relationship and watching
(20:43):
them work and seeing all thecool stuff you can get them to
do.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, for me, because actually I bought a dog for
that specific reason.
She's a German short hairpointer, but I never.
I planned on training her but Ijust I didn't have the time.
And you know, the schools we'rehaving kids are just so
fricking expensive.
(21:07):
I'm like I don't know if I doenough pheasant hunting to pay
for that kind of school.
If I'm only going to take herout a couple of times, you know
so.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Now it's a put the time in.
I mean that's what it really is, that first year getting a dog
put the time in.
I mean that's what it really is, that first year getting a dog.
If you don't commit to it, it'syou're kind of stepping in a
bucket and trying to play catchup from there.
But it makes a huge difference.
Like I don't even care aboutshooting them.
I could stand at a field andwait for people who didn't shoot
any birds.
Be like, let's go back out andgo find you a couple, and I'd be
(21:37):
happy as could be that'sawesome.
Yeah, well see, we need morehunters like you I mean, that's
like that's the end game of it.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
That's more people we get hunting and the more
hunters you have, the more thesport can flourish and get to do
it forever yeah, because I meanI mean you know like hunting
state land a lot of times, likeyou'll get to certain spots and
there's like there's guysalready sitting under the branch
with the birds just waiting forjust waiting for that shooting
(22:07):
time.
You know, first thing in themorning, yeah, yep, and then you
know if they even see you pullup, if they're in the truck, you
just see everybody get out andit, you know it gets competitive
, you know it does I mean that's?
Speaker 3 (22:20):
it's kind of part of the lure for me is to see like
it's bad, but it's funny andlike kind of comical.
And then like I get enough timeto go out and hunt on with more
birds or I can go and buy somebirds because I have access to
them and then bring them out andstock them once everybody's
gone.
I do that more often thananything.
That's cool.
(22:40):
Pick up a half a dozen truckhere and wait till everybody
clears out and find a kid andhis dad or something like that
and go plant them in the fieldand work the dog.
It's a lot.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
It's pretty fun see that that's really awesome, that
that's really cool, because youknow, just seeing, you know how
, how the kids are with it, andespecially, like we all, we all
want to get kids into the sport.
Because you know it's there'sthere's nothing like it.
Like I can't wait till my son'sold enough so I can like start
(23:11):
taking them, like I try to rightnow incorporate him and
everything that I do, and I'msure you know I saw you try to
do the same, you know.
So it's there's just there'snothing like it.
And I remember as a kid doingthe youth days and I mean it was
just fun you know there's noother way to explain it and just
(23:32):
having those volunteers thereto, like you know, just bring
their dogs and just want, wantto see the kids do it, it's it
awesome yeah, I haven't donethat.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Like the program, I think you're talking about the
one with the state but goodfriend of mine.
He's been doing it for gosh 10,15 different years with a
couple of different dogsthroughout their lifetimes now,
and it's that's what kind oflike got me to like want to get
into it, yeah, no definitely Imean you have because it's.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
I mean there's nothing like and just seeing the
kids.
You know the look on the kids'faces and everything.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
It's just I did a uh like a kids fishing clinic thing
with uh Muskie's Inc.
This past it's like I guess itwas last May, last June over at
uh, Hackett's Town Fish Hatchery.
And we did like a classroom kindof scenario and taught them a
bunch and tore the warm waterhatchery there.
And then we went out to one ofthe ponds they have and each kid
(24:29):
got teamed up with like asupervisor, like guide kind of
person and we got them all brandnew rods and reels and a little
tackle box and then just had toadd it in one of these ponds
and they were catching hybridsand big crappie and bass and
they were just going nutswatching them.
But like it's so much fun doingthat, yeah, I mean I wanted to
see what was in the pond too,like I'd always been wanting to
(24:51):
see it, I'm like where is thisclass going?
Yeah, I'll come help out, butthat was a pretty cool
experience.
It's like yeah, what is inthere?
Speaker 1 (25:03):
like I you know, oh yeah, I can only imagine what is
in there.
I mean, I will say, new jerseydoes a very good job at um.
You know stocking andeverything like that.
You, you look at um where youhave the muskies right, yeah,
they, is it musky or pike?
Do they?
Do they suck pikes as well?
Speaker 3 (25:23):
uh, they do yeah, in some of the lakes yeah, I think
like um bud lake, bud lake hasthem, the I mean the pisaic
river has them.
Yeah, yeah, yeah front has them.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
You know I, I've seen them, you know they, they do
the catfish program where they,you know, and they're, they're,
they do a lot of great stuff,especially for fishing.
So you know, it is pretty coolbecause, like, when we talk
about New Jersey and what NewJersey has to offer, like and
it's sometimes we do it slips mymind that you can go for musky
(25:54):
and pike in New Jersey.
We even have snakeheads in NewJersey, obviously more southern
Jersey and everything like that.
But like, when you're talkingabout all around you know, a
state where people don't reallythink there's much to it when it
comes to hunting and fishing,and then it's like, hey, you
know what?
Well, guess what, you can comedown here and you catch a pike.
You know you can catch a muskieand catch a snake, and you know
(26:17):
you can go to the, to the ocean, and you can go shark fishing
and you know you can go striperfishing and everything like that
.
Like you look at just so muchthat that the state has to offer
, which does make up for thesheer small size of it.
But it is a good testament tolike at least fish and wildlife
and I've even noticed what themwith them with their uh wmas and
(26:39):
they're doing a lot more workin and uh, these wmas and
everything like that.
So there there is a lot thatthe state offers.
I mean, yeah, people docomplain and everything like
that, but you know for whatthey're doing, how much funding
I could only imagine that theyhave.
Like, this is a prettysignificant thing and you know
it is great to see.
(27:00):
Especially it's for our kids.
Like, at the end of the day,you know we're all older now.
You know we get, you know we'vewe've seen how it's like and
you know we are enjoying youknow hunting and everything like
that.
But you know it's going to bereally important for for all our
children to to enjoy it as wellno, I agree.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
and another good thing that I think jersey does
too is, as far as they give youlike I think it's like two or
two or three free fishing days,just so like anybody could go
out there, you don't go throughthe whole program, you can sign
(27:43):
up and get your mentor and yourapprentice license with somebody
who has done it like.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
That's a great way to get people into the field
absolutely fun thing.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
I'm doing that with a , with a hunter this year, one
of my buddies from work.
Um, you know, he wants to getinto hunting and everything like
that and um, so we're going tobe doing the, the, that program
right there and he'll be able tocome out with me and everything
like that, and I think it lastsfor I think what two years, I
believe.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
I think it's just a full year is what I thought.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Is it a?
Is it a full year?
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Like a full calendar from whatever day you you
purchase it.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
it's perfect for for people who don't know if they're
gonna like it.
Yet you know what I meanthey're hunting is like.
Why invest all the time, moneyand everything like that?
And you know, at the end dayhunting is getting more and more
expensive as it is.
Hey, get this person take themout, see if they like it.
(28:39):
If they really do, then theyget to go out and you know they
can take their tests andeverything like that.
And you know it is a great wayto grow the outdoors.
I'm not sure how many otherStates have it like that, but
you know I love that New Jerseydoes it that way.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
No, I agree, and it doesn't help.
You know it doesn't hurt that.
Uh, you got an extra hand ifyou need it.
I know Mike, mike, he's gonnaput you to the test oh yes, I I
really much.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Yep, you can't give away too many spots though,
because then next year once yougot their license and they start
creeping around.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
You see a cell cam pop up somewhere that's a very
good point no, I I do have somedesignated spots already for for
that.
Not, I'm not giving away any ofmy uh, you know secret spots,
but yeah, you know, I do havethat already, like yeah, yeah,
I'm gonna take this person hereand here and here and you know
it's.
You know we're hunting all overand everything like that, and
(29:33):
you know it's.
I love getting people into theoutdoors.
You know as as much as I can.
You know it's why we hold ourevents that we do, and you know
growing the community andeverything like that.
But you know, for for anyonewho's who's looking at doesn't
matter what background you'refrom.
If you're, if that's somethingyou're interested in, you know
doing that, listen all for it.
(29:54):
Come, you know, come out.
We would love to take you guysout and show you what it's
really about.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
So you know oh yeah, I thought you were gonna say
something else.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
I was like oh, okay and then it completely like I
was, and it literally just.
This is my second podcast ofthe day, so you know I
completely just slipped my mindall good, all good um, but I
want to talk to you, ryan, aboutum.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I also saw on your instagram that you had um.
It looked like two.
I think it was like two does inthe back of your truck, was
that?
Was that a trad bow?
Do you hunt with trad or no?
Speaker 3 (30:37):
yeah, I just switched over.
A couple years ago 2023, 2022season was my first year.
I sold my compound, got rid ofit, I had the trad bone I'd like
, practiced a bunch but neverreally committed, and then
finally just went for it andstuck it out.
That's all I've got now.
But that was opening day thatyear and I was right on the edge
(31:02):
of like a big oak flat wherethey were coming to feed every
night, had my corn pile thereand there was just those milling
back and forth everywhere and abig ridge.
There was a very overpopulatedpiece of property, so I was
trying to do my part and shotone, got her tagged in and no
more than 15 minutes lateranother one came walking back
through and gave me another shot, so doubled up on both of them.
(31:23):
I mean, I hunted with it ahandful of times, but that was
my first kill slash kills withit, which was pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
No, that is pretty cool.
Listen, hey, you can't beatthat.
But what was the switch likefor you?
Like, if somebody wanted to getinto it and switch like, what
would your advice be to?
Speaker 3 (31:43):
them.
Uh, try and I mean there'sdifferent sizes and kind of
learn the terminology and whatyou're looking for, what you're
wanting to do.
I mean always go talk to, likesomebody who knows what they're
talking about, a professional ora friend.
Try and get some advice beforeyou go and just buy a bunch of
stuff but find a bow you likeand start shooting it and get
(32:04):
comfortable with it.
I mean it's nice the compoundor even the crossbows nowadays,
like they're so much tools andhave technology on your side
with releases and pins andsights and stabilizers that this
is just like a stick and astring and it's all on you Like
the tiniest little flinch ormovement, or even your eyes just
(32:25):
flicker and go off, becausewhen you release and the bow so
much slower it deters the arrowjust a little bit.
You got it.
The focus and the practice isthe biggest thing.
Really.
You gotta get in the zone andshoot a lot.
I mean one of my friends whogot me into it, he's every
chance he gets he walks out thedoor, shoots a couple arrows,
(32:46):
but that's, that's how youreally get.
Get good at it.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Now, what's like your comfortable range, Do you?
Would you only shoot like past,like no further than 20, 30?
Speaker 3 (32:56):
Yeah, 25 is like I'm pretty confident.
To that I mean, mistakes happen.
I I kind of biffed it on a goodbuck this year or two.
I should say, but yeah, 20, 25,like that's about as far as I
want to shoot, nothing over that.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Okay, no, that's good to know.
Now, when you first got into it, were you shooting like months
before you got comfortable?
Were you shooting like a wholeyear with it before you got
comfortable?
Speaker 3 (33:25):
so I say I shot with it probably for a good two to
three seasons.
I was like I had the bow, I wasstill hunting with my compound,
I'd pick it up and shoot andlike I wasn't religious about it
, I wasn't.
That wasn't the only thing Iwas practicing with, because I
had my compound and I knewthat's what I was going to hunt
with.
And I think that's probably whyI got rid of the compound.
And if I wanted to hunt it wasgoing to force me to practice.
(33:49):
But it was, I mean, a year anda half two years before I was
like really even willing tothink about shooting at an
animal.
And then this will be my fourthyear coming up this year and
now I'm like I'm getting moreconfident with it.
But I never really even drewback on the majority of deer
just because I didn't feel safetaking shots.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Now I got to ask you cause I've never personally shot
one.
So let's just say, if the deeris at 20 yards and you come to
full draw, does that like alteryour vision, like your sight
vision when you're shooting?
Speaker 3 (34:26):
not really.
I mean, you're kind of bent andcantered and like the way you
draw back and anchor.
It's right under your cheek, soyou're looking down the shaft
of that arrow at your target.
You can still see your targetwith what?
You're looking at it doesn'tlike take up the whole.
Thing no, not at all.
I mean even less like becauseyou have a peep or a scope.
It's very focused but there'snothing in front.
(34:48):
It's an arrow shaft and yourbroadhead and you're kind of
looking down it and past it atthe target.
It's like throwing a baseball,like you're pointing with your
left hand and just kind ofaiming and you know the distance
(35:09):
and it feels right and you letit go and you're looking right
where it needs to hit and that's.
That's just where it goes.
Gotcha, gotcha, it's.
It's a lot of feel, likethere's a little point of aim
and you can kind of like judgewith different marks on the your
bow shaft or along the arrow.
Once you figure it out and youshoot, enough.
But it really it turns into alot of feel.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Now, what weight are you?
Speaker 3 (35:25):
pulling back.
I'm shooting a 54-pound bow,which is a little heavy, I think
, for me.
Like I'm a little bit of asmaller guy, I might drop down
to like a 48-pound.
I'm fortunate I have a friendwho just is obsessed with it.
So he's like here, take thisone one, borrow this one, like
swap out.
He's like just whatever.
(35:46):
I gave him 500 bucks for theone bow a couple years ago.
Now it's kind of like on alender program.
It's working so you can't beatthat no, so he's got actually a
new one, a different bow that hejust bought over the winter.
That's a 48 pound, he said hethinks I might like it a little
bit better.
He pushes me over the winter.
That's a 48 pound, he said hethinks I might like it a little
bit better.
He pushes me to get into, Ithink, just so he has somebody
(36:07):
to talk to about it with it,like our big circle of friends
that we can rip on everybody,all the compound and crossbow
guys, and say how much harder wemake it for ourselves and how
much better we are and all thatfun stuff now quick question on
that.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
I've heard so much it's really important about your
arrow.
So what?
What's your arrow setup looklike how long did it take you to
get?
You know, to get the rightarrows, that that, that you were
comfortable, that shot wellwith your bow and everything
like that kind of go with that.
Because that's that's what atleast what I've heard is.
You know it's a big part moreabout your arrows and everything
like that, once you find theright arrows and and everything
(36:45):
like that, and you knowswitching between whatever you
got to do, the correct length,and everything like that, like
what's that?
Speaker 3 (36:52):
process like it's.
It's the same and different aslike the compound you're, you're
tuning the bow and your arrowto meet a flight path that you
want.
So you're lengthening the shaft, shortening the shaft depending
on the flight of the arrow youcan.
You're putting a couple extratwists in your string of your
bow to tighten it up and changethe brace height.
(37:13):
So it's a little bit stifferand sends that arrow down and
I'm honestly thank god for my mybuddy chris, because he gets me
all set up.
But but it's a little different.
We're shooting a little bitheavier end arrow.
I think we both have 100-grainor 150-grain inserts and then
we're shooting bigger like a150-grain head.
So there's a lot of weight upfront and they're flying a lot
(37:35):
slower.
But I thought it's kind of alittle more weight with a little
more penetration.
Do?
Speaker 2 (37:42):
you see yourself getting a lot of pass throughs.
Have you ever you know?
Got anything like.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Both of those does I shot passed right through, went
through ribs like completely andthey were.
One was 17.
The other one was 21 yards, solike they blew through.
I've shot a handful of does.
Now the bigger bucks.
You go and hit a shoulder,which I learned this year the
hard way it's not passingthrough.
I shot one early October goodbuck, one of my target deer that
(38:17):
I've been watching for a littlewhile and step forward this
front leg drew back on him, madethe shot.
I thought I aced it like.
Made the shot.
I thought I aced it like.
Made the phone calls.
I aced it.
Blood was pouring out but Isunk it in right behind his back
shoulder went through the ribsand buried in the opposite
shoulder.
Missed all the vitals.
Watched the deer for a couplemonths on camera and then at one
on uh, the neighboringproperties that got shot.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
So yeah, of course that's.
That's how it always goesshoulder was there.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
And then about a month later during the rut, I
had a real nice buck come in andI was thinking shoulder, am I
like, don't hit the shoulder,don't hit the shoulder, and
that's what I'm saying.
I had a 17 yard like shot, likechip shot that I'm I'm shooting
tennis balls at 20 yards, soI'm confident.
Drawback everything was smoothand I let it go.
(39:04):
I've just felt my eyes likeflicker because my brain thought
shoulder, damn it, if thatarrow didn't just square in the
shoulder blade, only go in twoinches and that deer ran off
like he got stung by like a bee,didn't even care and and I
think that that's so important,right there too, you know, and I
love, I hate it sucks that ithappens, right, yeah, it's part
of it happens.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
It happens to everyone though, but like it
just shows you now, I alwaystell people, like hunting with
the bow and you know, obviouslyI'm talking with the compound,
that's still a game of inches,but so much you mentally have to
be.
So now you're doing it, youknow, with the trad, but like
now, every, like you said, eventhe flicker of your eye, like
(39:45):
everything has to be on, yep,like at least with the compound
you may be able to get away withwith a little bit.
With the trad you're notgetting away with a single thing
.
And mentally, if you like,mentally, you have to be there
and that's why you know, andit's, I feel, like that's so
normal and gonna happen toeveryone.
Like even with me, even youcould be with the crossbow.
(40:08):
You be like if you hit ashoulder, like it's going to get
to you, it's going to eat youup and it's probably going to
eat you up until you shootanother deer and it's a perfect.
You know what I mean and that's.
That's the unfortunate thing.
But that's what makes makes ithunting and, honestly, like I
love that because it makes melike to be better, like when I
have a bad shot and yes, it'sgoing to haunt you and I was I
(40:31):
was haunted, like this year Iwent to the season, you know,
after the year that I had lastyear and I struggled last year I
hit a shoulder, everything likethat and like the only thing
you could think about is like,oh my God, redemption, I need it
, yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Yep, you need that confidence back.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
I purposely, and you know what?
Yet again, it's easier for mebecause I'm using a compound,
which is crazy for me to saybecause I'm using a compound.
Usually we're comparingcompounds and crossbows, but you
know what I mean.
We're comparing compounds andtrash.
At least I could build an arrowto fully penetrate both
shoulders.
You know what I mean.
(41:08):
Versus what you're doing,you're not going to be able to.
It's going to be much harder.
Maybe with a doe you couldprobably get away with something
like that you know what I meanbut not with a, a big, mature
buck no I don't think.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
But I mean that's like you're saying.
I I knowingly tried to make itharder on myself going, taking
that next step, trying to getinto something else.
I mean I had been having greatsuccess for a string of years
and put deer on the wall.
I'm like all right, like timeto try and like take the next
step, I guess yeah, do you feellike a kid again, like with the
(41:43):
trad?
bow, like when those, when Ishot those does I was so jacked
my heart was like through theroof, just all out like shaking
when I was getting ready to draw, just because it was different
and unsure and like I don't know, it just definitely had a big
rush.
Come back from it no,absolutely now.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Did you shoot both loose?
I might have missed it, but didyou?
You shot both loose off theground, or do you?
Speaker 3 (42:08):
know that was out of it, out of a stand.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
Yeah, now how is it trying to maneuver out of the
stand with you know?
Speaker 3 (42:17):
the trad bow my most trad bows it's.
They're longer, so it's alittle you got to really be
aware of like your cover aroundyou and the branches, because
I've had like the bottom of thelimb will like nick different
branches and that kind of stuff.
But it's, it's not too bad.
You're kind of your bend is alittle bit different, like in
(42:38):
the knees and the waist and howyou have to lean over, depending
on the angle, like a straightunder your shots, like super
hard.
You got I don't have a whiskerbiscuit or like catcher or
anything, you're just kind ofresting it on your, your bow,
but it's not too different.
Same principles, like theknowing when to draw is the hard
part, because you kind of gotto have like I'm looking for
(43:00):
little windows where their theirhead's going to pop behind a
tree so I can actually draw andshoot.
You're not wanting to hold itlike you would a compound or a
crossbow, so I'm setting up thatlike moment of the shot, like
it's not, like you can draw backand be like, oh, I'm just gonna
hold it here for a minute or 30seconds or whatever.
It's like shit.
(43:21):
I'm drawn back, like I I'm thearrow's gonna fling like if I
don't do something yeah, yeah alittle little bigger of a
decision to draw and the timingof it and planning it.
That's a lot different.
You need some cover.
So, yeah, picking your treesand setting up has's a lot
different.
You need some cover.
So, yeah, picking your treesand setting up has been a little
bit different.
Trying to like find a spot toshoot a deer with a recurve
(43:43):
versus my compound, like I'm notjacked up 25 feet, 20, 25 feet
in a tree anymore.
I'm looking for that spot.
That's 15 feet off the groundwith good cover.
That's right.
And like you got a real goodcover wall to one side.
As soon as I step out I'mtaking my shot.
I don't like corn piles anymoreat all because like there's
(44:04):
eyes too many eyes around.
You can't like draw back andwait.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
You got to draw and shoot and it's just hard with a
lot of deer around yeah, it'sfunny you say it because this is
actually the first year Istarted um hunting over a bait
pile and I noticed that a lot.
And I noticed even with mysaddle I can get up.
I think I was getting likearound 15, 16 feet yeah, and
(44:30):
just when they come into thosecorn piles I mean I don't know
if it's there by me, Well, Ithink it's there probably.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
They're just looking everywhere and I have deer
behind me to the side andthey're just like they're just
looking in the trees, lookingfor you the big one's the last
one that's going to come inafter all the does, and
everybody else hasn't alreadymade you so yeah, I'll, I'll
definitely say, like you know, I, I think the amount of times I
(44:57):
hunted over corn this year, Ithink, was only like to try to
get my dough out the way in theearly season, right, and then
after that, but you know, Ifinding the acorns dropping, and
when I found, you know, frank,definitely, can, you know,
contest this because I, you know, I taught it like that was my
mission, you know, was justfinding, find that hot tree, and
(45:22):
it's crazy because they don'tcome in the same way.
You know what I mean, they werenot looking all like, they came
in without a care, kind of inthe world.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
Beeline right to it, head down eating Exactly.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Natural patterns will outperform a bait pile a
hundred a hundred percent, andit was nice because I mean there
was five, six, seven deeraround and like it, just like
they.
Their eyes weren't all up, solike you could get away with a
lot more movement and I couldjust adjust in the saddle.
Or you know, because I'm tryingto film, I can do other stuff
and even when, like they thoughtthey caught me right or they
(45:57):
saw movement, it wasn't the same.
I feel like if it was on a cornpile, you know where you're
probably going to get thembecome really skittish.
I think, honestly, they saw somemovement.
They probably thought maybe itwas a squirrel, maybe it was
just the wind blowing Like a lotof those days, it was just like
windy and the branches.
The wind blowing like a lot ofthose days, it was just like
windy and the branches.
(46:17):
And that's why I like being intrees, that just I do have that
cover, because I kind of justlook like another branch just
moving with the wind and I kindof only try to move when the
wind is blowing, so so I can getaway with more movement.
But just a night and daydifference, I mean I absolutely,
I get it why people do it andlisten.
I'm opening day.
Next year I'm probably going tohunt right over corn so I can
(46:40):
kill my doe, like right overUntil.
Like you know, and I'llprobably, it's a great way to
kill does in the early seasonout the way.
But yeah, they're just way moreskittish and they just all they
do is look up.
In the especially as the seasongoes on, all they're doing is
looking up.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Looking up, yep, all they do is look up in the,
especially as the season goes on, all they're doing is looking
up, looking up, yep, no, but I Inoticed even, like on our um,
our property, upstate.
That's why I was so I'm sosuccessful, because we have, I
mean, I mean a shit ton of acorntrees so you can go anywhere,
basically, and that you're gonnahave deer walk by and, like you
said, it's just, it's so justdifferent hunting, because they
come in, they're, you know,they're not looking at nothing,
they're not worried aboutnothing, they're just walking
(47:24):
and doing their thing and it itmakes it so much easier to get
away with so much more withoutit their pattern.
Speaker 3 (47:31):
You can get them patterned more in daylight.
They're not a skittish.
There's a million thingswithout it.
I mean for running a camera tosee what's there.
But it's that big buck's alwaysthere in the middle of the
night and you're all.
He was there again.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
But yeah, you gotta figure out in between there
where he's at eating yep, andyou know, what I noticed a lot
too with um having corn piles iswhen I was going in I was
bumping a lot of deer, because alot of deer were staying right
there.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
So it's.
It's also a thing like yougotta, you kind of got to treat
it.
It is a food source.
So, like you know, especiallyearly in the morning, like you
bump a lot of deer off of baitpiles, just like you would bump
if you're going in a morninghunt and you're, you're walking
through an ag field or somethinglike that.
Speaker 3 (48:18):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
So like I always tell people like yeah, I yet again
like I do it opening weekendbecause that's, that's the
tradition.
And then I kind of reallystopped hunting, like morning
hunts, because I really like, ifI'm going to hunt a food source
like that, like there's noreason.
Exactly Right.
Versus like, ok, you want tohunt.
If you're going to hunt themorning, you got to hunt a
(48:41):
transition spot, you got to huntbedding.
Like you don't want to be righton top of hunting corn piles,
you're going to be, even ifyou're 20, 30 yards off, it
doesn't matter, you're stillmost likely going to bump deer
off.
Versus in the evening hunt, Ijust find it so much easier
because you could just you couldjust beat them too and yeah,
you may bump like a, a deer ortwo off because it's corn and
(49:04):
they, I feel like they could bethere whenever.
But I don't think it's it's asserious as a problem.
Um, you know, and I've had acouple people reach out like oh
well, you know I haven't beenhaving success and you know I
use corn and you know more well,yeah, you know what?
And I did the same thing,especially like when I was
younger and everything like that.
Like it's the new jersey way100.
(49:25):
But like as you, as you learnand you grow, it's like all
right, like okay, this is whyit's not working, because this
is it is a food source it is afood source, yeah, you know.
And and if you want to kill big,big bucks, like it's just, you
know and people are like, ohwell, I kill big bucks over, it
happens, it does happen, it doeshappen.
(49:46):
But I, I do still think, likeyou're, if you're trying to play
the percentage game, you knowthe percentage of success you
may have.
Hunting a different method maywork for you in the long run.
Unless you have unlimited time,like if I had every single day,
like, okay, it's going, it'sdefinitely going to happen, like
(50:07):
you're eventually gonna.
You're playing the, the oddsare are in your favor.
So you know there's nothingwrong with it.
You know we've all done it.
You know I, I, as long as and Ialways tell people, as long as
it's legal, I really I don'tcare, like Get out there and do
it.
Speaker 3 (50:22):
Get out there and do it.
Speaker 1 (50:23):
Like if, if the state allows you to do it, who cares
what somebody else says?
Like if, if they're giving youshit for it, listen at the day,
it's legal.
It doesn't make you know anyworse any better.
Like it's just a differentmethod of of hunting, but you
can always change it up of howyou're doing it.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
Yep, no 100.
So what I was trying to do lastyear is, you know, I would hunt
this side of the farm, then I'dhunt this side of the farm, so
I wasn't always just worriedabout the bait pile.
I would go in there with thequad, throw my corn down or
whatever, and then I'm out andthat's it.
Then I would rely on thecameras to do most of my work
(51:04):
now, you don't want thempatterning you yeah, yeah, and
they and they will, and they doit pretty quick.
You're in their bedroom.
Speaker 3 (51:13):
You're in their bathroom.
Like, yeah, somebody walks inyour house and moves some stuff
around or leaves you like asteak on the table, you're gonna
know like what the hell isgoing on no, absolutely, because
even even mike knows that.
Speaker 2 (51:26):
Um, this past year I didn't go out in the morning and
I was after this one specificdeer.
It was was a beautiful10-pointer.
I was at work.
He showed up in the morning andI told Mike I was like I'm
going to leave work because,guaranteed this buck's going to
come back tonight and I want tobeat him.
I'm going to leave right fromwork and I'm going to beat him
(51:49):
there.
And sure, shit enough, I'mcalling Mike at like 5.30.
Hey, I shot him.
(52:16):
I think it was a good shot, butit was a classic.
I thought he took a step whenhe didn't and I hit him dead,
smack in the shoulder.
Speaker 1 (52:16):
And actually.
I'll send the video to you,Ryan, and you'll see him.
Speaker 2 (52:16):
He literally does backflips he falls on the floor.
Like his reaction.
I was like, oh he's, he's done,yeah he thought you smoked some
good and I'm alreadycelebrating.
I didn't sleep that night.
I'm calling mike, I'm like yougotta come up here and you know,
one of my buddies squatches.
I was like, hey, you gotta comeup here.
And everybody came out and thenthat was the only good thing
(52:36):
that we had that video, becausewe just kept replaying it and
replaying it and we're like, yep, like there it is.
None of us noticed that nightbecause of his reaction to me
hitting him.
I think we're also crazy.
Yeah, I think so too Probablyreaction.
Speaker 1 (52:51):
So we're like, oh yeah, like this is a dead deer.
Like we're like, oh yeah, likethis is a dead deer, like we're
gonna find this deer, like, ohman, like it.
It was one of the craziestreaction that I've seen.
Like you've seen some prettywild stuff like this thing.
I don't.
I just blew my mind that, like,it just was not a lethal shot
yep yeah, they're tough animalsman like air of margin is like
(53:16):
fractions of an inch.
Speaker 3 (53:17):
You can be off.
Speaker 2 (53:20):
Yeah, I learned that the hard way too.
Speaker 1 (53:22):
We all have.
Speaker 2 (53:23):
We all have Too many times Yep, so don't feel too bad
.
But, Mike, you got anythingelse?
You want to stop there?
Speaker 1 (53:34):
You know the one thing.
Actually I don't even know ifwe got into it on the in the
200th right, was it the, thehalloween episode?
Um, I can't even remember nowwhich.
Whatever um did we go over what?
Um, if you could hunt anywherein the world, what would your
(53:54):
dream hunt be, and where?
Anywhere.
Money is not an option.
Money is not an option.
You don't have to worry Somehowsomeone's paying for this hunt.
Speaker 3 (54:07):
I don't know A rutting stag or something would
just hear them things screamingat you.
It would be pretty wild,whether it's Europe or south
america, like just seeing theirmassive, the racks and the steam
coming out.
Like hear one of them thingsscreaming and coming like a cool
, like an elk yeah, like samething, but it's like an elk on
(54:30):
steroids and something Iprobably never even get the
chance to do.
So I'll say something like thatyeah, that's a good one.
Speaker 1 (54:37):
Now and also one more question I really wanted to ask
you.
You know you're coming to youknow hunting a state like Iowa
and everything like that.
And then you come to New Jerseyand kind of, like I said before
, like you're going from a statethat it's just way different.
You know it's a land of giantsand you talk about pheasant
hunting and everything like that, but then you come to a state
(55:04):
like New Jersey where it's more,I guess, quantity over quality
and we but we do have some bigdeer and everything like that.
You know we have the bear, wehave, you know, the saltwater
fishing that you love to do andeverything like that.
Speaker 3 (55:20):
You know what's kind of been your, your first
reaction when you you came overhere, versus like kind of like.
Now I mean that's the nicething like there's differences
and nuances to it, no matterwhere you go.
Like you're saying there's moredeer and maybe not as big out
here, but you're competingagainst all the people.
You're trying to find these newlittle spots and different
tactics to make it work.
Like there's just differentlittle nuances that you can use
(55:41):
to challenge yourself.
I think finding new ways tochallenge myself and figure out
something else.
That's really more of what it'sabout.
But, like I always, yeah, itwas a paradise for deer hunting,
it says, but the fishing outhere is bar way better than it
was out in the Midwest.
Speaker 2 (55:59):
That makes sense?
No, that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (56:01):
I mean you cater to wherever you end up in the
country.
Wherever you go, you're goingto find your niches for that
season.
If you're an outdoorsman,you're snook fishing, tarpon
fishing in Florida and chasinghogs, and then you're out west,
you're elk hunting, trying toshoot sheep and fly fish in the
rivers, like that's what's coolabout it.
Anywhere you go, you can findsomething to get into that's
(56:25):
actually perfectly sad and it'sit's right.
Speaker 1 (56:27):
Like every, I think all states are definitely unique
.
I mean, I love new jersey andit's always like okay, you know,
we me and the fiance we talkedabout the move into PA and like,
and even though moving to PAlike not far away from the
border, so we could still comeback to New Jersey and hunt,
like and stuff like that, but,like you know, every state's
(56:49):
just different Like, and youknow I, like you, said in Texas,
like oh, I would love to hoghunt, like that's something I
really want to do be able tojust go out with the, with the
ar, or take a night vision ortake a, do a helicopter hunt.
Like you know, we talked tofrank and I talked to my buddy,
um jaeger from and he lives downin in, uh, texas, and he was
(57:11):
like, yeah, like the pilot gotlike what he said like 10 or 15
feet off of the ground.
Speaker 2 (57:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (57:17):
Kind of like sideways and they were just like laying
it down.
Yeah, and it's like that soundsso cool, like holy shit, like,
yeah, texas doesn't have, likethe, the deer hunting, in my
opinion, compared to most of thestates.
You know I like the coldweather, I like that really
ruddy action.
They, they don't have that butthey make up it for hey, you can
(57:39):
go down there and you canliterally you want to set like a
TNT off and explode like hogsand everything like that,
because there's such a nuisanceLike you can do it, you can, you
know you can.
Um, is it got?
You know you could do like anafrican hunt there.
You could do, you could doexotic hunts there.
Like it does make up for it.
It has its own, uh, uniquenessand you know new jersey is one
(58:01):
of those other states that youknow it does have a lot to offer
and you know we love it and youknow that's um perfect answer
but, um, frank, any I, I thinkthat's my.
Speaker 2 (58:11):
those are, those are my last few closing statements
yeah, I think that's.
Hey, ryan, appreciate youcoming on the show again.
It was a pleasure to meet you.
So I still can't believe youfish with my cousins.
I still can't get over that,sorry, but that's awesome.
But, hey, man, I appreciate youcoming on the show.
Everybody give give Mr Ryan apit and a follow.
(58:33):
And give mr ryan a pit and afollow and you know, hopefully
we can get you back on again andwe'll talk some more hunting
and fishing bud.
Speaker 3 (58:41):
What do you think?
Yeah, I like it, man.
It's thanks for having me outand uh, talking with you guys.
It's, it's a ton of fun.
I mean anytime, shoot the shitand talk about the outdoors.
I'm game, so keep me posted allright, sounds good.
Speaker 2 (58:53):
All right, everybody.
We appreciate you guys alltuning in and we'll see you guys
next time.
Welcome back to the Garden State Outdoors and
Podcast presented by BoondockHunting.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
That's why your tagline Mike JCL known perfect.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
You don't know what that mountain's going to bring.
You don't know what thatmountain's going to bring.
I accidentally drifted my canoebetween a sow and a cub and
she's like charged and hit theback of the canoe.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
His head hit the ground before his ass did.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Begging and begging and crying to go with my
grandfather, go with my fatheron these deer drives.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You know, the last trip over I shot a great Cape
Buffalo with my bow Chargingbluegrass and then the whooping.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
And then you hear a body drop.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Welcome everybody to the Garden State Outdoorsman
Podcast.
I am your host, frank Mastica.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I'm your co-host, Mike Nitre.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
And today we have a very special guest, Mr Ryan
Canton.
Ryan, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
What's happening, guys?
Thanks for having me on here.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Welcome back Ryan.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yep, Sorry about the mix-up earlier.
It's all good though.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Funny thing, everyone Frank screwed up and forgot to
hit the record button, but weonly got like five minutes in,
so it's all good.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yep, thank God I realized it early.
Hey, it's only my second onedoing the host, so You're doing
better than me Real quick.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
don't mind that I'm eating.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Go for it.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Bianca got a banoffee .
Banoffee how do you say it?
Banoffee banoffee pie.
It's her favorite, but you knowI have no choice but to eat
this now, since it's alreadypast the time where I eat um, so
I can't wait any later, so I'mgonna be stuffing my mouth full
of don't need a high co-hostexactly take it away frank right
(01:45):
.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
So, Ryan, welcome to the show.
I appreciate you coming on bud.
I appreciate having me here man, absolutely so, ryan, let's do
this again.
So why don't you give us alittle background on you, like
how you got brought into it?
Just the floor is yours, sojust start wherever you want I'm
(02:06):
here.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I hunt almost exclusively in new jersey.
I spent a little bit of timeout in the midwest in iowa, so I
was hunting big when I was outthere, for sure.
But I've been hunting here for25 years, fishing since I could
walk, uh really exploring everyinch of new jersey that I could
venture over in a pa.
A little bit for the fishingand stuff, but not so much of
the hunting.
A lot of deer hunting.
(02:29):
I got a dog, so I do a lot ofbird hunting, small game hunting
and that kind of thing, andthen just always outside
tromping through the woods, shedhunting right now getting ready
for the spring run for thestriped bass and the shad to
start up.
So there's always something tobe doing outside.
I know you guys were talkingturkey earlier.
That's one thing I haven'tgotten into.
I'm out there and see what'sgoing on and feel like I could
(02:51):
put it together.
I just haven't followed throughon that one yet yeah, yeah, no,
definitely it's.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Uh, you know it's big season.
I haven't, actually I haven'teven been out scouting yet for
turkey.
I know it's.
It's getting close.
So for me it will start umapril 26th up by me because I
only do period a for jersey butum, I'll basically be mostly
focusing on hunting um our state, um our property, upstate new
(03:21):
york.
So that starts may 1st, so I'mlooking forward to that.
I haven't even been therescouting, but I know I usually
always have turkeys up there, so, and I know Mike just got out
today, so he's all pumped andready to go.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yep, yep, I'm looking to get my first bird.
Uh.
So, ryan, I mean I just I'vedabbled in turkey hunting in the
past and I can really never sayI was a turkey hunter.
Last year I fully committed,got the scouting done, was
scouting actual birds and seeingsign and actually got on I
(03:57):
think almost every hunt I was onbirds.
I just couldn't close a deal.
I missed one bird.
I misjudged the range and itwas a little farther than I
thought it was shot under it.
So it's kind of like you, likeI just didn't do it.
Yep.
So I mean now I can say I don'twant to.
(04:20):
You know I get.
You know it's hard.
It must be hard, especially foryou.
You do a lot of salt waterfishing, you know you, you fly
fish and everything like that.
Like to throw turkeys in there.
And now also I gotta saycongratulations on on your, uh,
your second child, correct?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
yeah yeah, putting a little damper on some of the
hobbies, but hey welcome to theclub.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
I don't know if your, your wife, might kill you if
you pick up another hobby liketurkey, because it is.
I will say, once you learn itand you, you understand it and
you get on birds, like I canunderstand why people it's, it's
a lot of fun.
The only cool thing is like youhave till 12 and that's it yeah
, yeah 100.
I really should do it, I mean,I've got diaphragms and slate
(05:05):
calls laying around.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I've got all the camo and gut the thing I need.
I don't have decoys or nothing,but like I don't know, it's
just if I'm gonna do it.
I want to like really get intoit and do it and I don't have
that kind of time right nowlisten.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
No, I get it.
But I'm telling you what, onceyou do get into it, once you
hear that first gobble in themorning, oh man, you're going to
be hooked.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I could get you fired up.
Yeah, I know, I mean justcalling and playing around.
It's like that's what I'mworried about, because then I
get hooked on it and I'm likeballs deep and that's all I want
to do all spring.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
So this time of year, yeah, no, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
So this time of of year, what do you mostly focus
on?
I know we talked a little bityou were telling me about you
know you go out there, you lookfor mushrooms and you know, I
know that you're a big flyfisherman and all that.
So why don't you give us alittle background?
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I do a lot of fly fishing, trout fishing, mostly
with the fly rod, uh, freshwaterbass fishing.
I do a couple of the local likebass leagues with one of my
buddies on Sundays and thenreally the last five, six years
most of my time has been spentstraight bass fishing, whether
uh from the shore out in thekayak.
I've been out a couple timesthis spring already.
Hop on a friend's boat anychance I get and then uh come,
(06:25):
like april, into may, when I gota few select days, I'll go hit
my spots and go out mushroomhunting.
But my shed hunting's startingto wrap up and I'm pretty much
geared up for, uh, the stripedbass right now yeah, no, I hear
you, I haven't even, I haven'teven been out before, real quick
, before we move on.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
When you go out for mushrooms for somebody who
doesn't know how to do it andthen also anyone who's looking
to get into it what is one ofyour recommendations?
Where should you look?
Are you just walking out?
Are there specific spots likemaybe a more sunnier area or
maybe a more shady area?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
specific spots, like maybe a more sunnier area, maybe
a more shady area there's.
That's both viable options atdifferent times of the season.
Depends on what type ofmushrooms you're looking for too
.
I mean you kind of it's likedeer hunting and fishing.
You get that that feel likeit's the right spot, and that's
the same kind of thing that'sbased on the plants and the soil
and everything's there.
Learning your trees, trees Ithink your tree identification
would be your best help intrying to find mushrooms Like
(07:31):
different mushrooms, likedifferent species of trees.
I know the morels, the big ones.
They really like apple treesand elm trees, the ash trees
they used to like them a lot butthey're starting to become more
and more scarce.
But look for trees that aren'tquite a hundred percent healthy.
If they're like a little bitdying, then you know some kind
of fungus is there attacking itand feeding off really worth a
(07:54):
look very interesting
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I, I know I, I did not know that at all.
That's a pretty interestingtake.
I uh, yeah, how'd you get intothat?
Like so, like how?
How did you like?
Was that something your, yourfamily, you know, passed down
from generations, like something?
Speaker 3 (08:11):
I heard about my mom and stuff doing it like on her
family farm in wisconsin growingup and then we find a few as
kids and like we get excitedwhen we found them and then I
never really did it much growingup and then as time progressed
and I learned more about theoutdoors and the wonderful world
it is.
It was like something to go andlook for and something else to
(08:34):
hunt pass some time get get into?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
yeah, no, because I told you my, uh, my uncle does
it.
I just I never got into it.
He just kind of goes off anddoes his own thing and now, like
I know, um one of my otherbuddies, he goes, but I don't.
He's not that familiar with thetrees, so I know he uses like a
bunch of apps and stuff thatthey have now to go out there
(09:00):
and try to find things.
I mean, now you don, I meanthere's basically an app for
everything you know, I don'teven trust those apps half the
time.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
You can take the same picture three times and it
gives you something different.
That's sketchy, yeah really.
But doing your research.
Some of them are pretty good.
They usually help get you closeand a lot of times they're
right.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
But that one time that they're not right wouldn't
be the time.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yeah, not, I wouldn't want to chance it.
Yeah, especially with mushrooms, gosh forbid.
Yeah, most of them are.
I mean, if you aren't sure,then just leave it there.
There's a handful, they arepretty easy to identify that
what?
you're looking for the morels,the oyster, mushrooms, we get
some other stuff.
That's pretty cool, but that'slike fishing and hunting.
It says, as the spring goes andsummer turns into fall, there's
something different to look for, something different to chase,
(09:51):
and it's all.
It's all connected to.
You kind of get in a loop ofjust all right, it's this time
of year, time to do this yep,it's time of year of different
people.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You know a lot of people.
They got their own things thatthey like to do.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Look in the back of somebody's truck and you're like
I know what they're doing rightnow for the next month or
something.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Yeah, they look at my truck, they're like, oh my God,
he's definitely on it.
But yeah, I mean it's easy, youknow, especially especially this
time of year, because Iactually this year is actually
the first year in a while thatmy wife's like, hey, like I want
to go trout fishing, likeyou're taking me, so that got me
(10:35):
pumped to take her out.
So now I'm gonna, you know,kind of focus on having her and,
uh, her and and, um, my son gofishing, cause you know, usually
when I take them it's all, it'susually all about them, right,
so I just enjoy them having fun.
I put all the pressure onmyself to take them to the right
spot so they catch fish and,you know it, it definitely could
(10:58):
be a lot, but you, you know thedeal, I mean pretty soon, you
know your kids are going to beout there, you know, driving you
crazy, just like mine.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Oh yeah, I mean you do it for yourself, you put the
pressure on, but when you'retrying to get other people into
it, or clients and friends andfamily, then you really start
putting it on yourself.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
No, absolutely, I think it's a different pressure
when you're doing that for sure.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Yeah, yeah, I definitely feel it so, but I
know um, ryan, I saw that youyou do do a lot of deep sea
fishing like I've never been.
So do you like, only do, likeum?
Do you do charters?
Do you go by like offshore,like how?
How do you usually approach it?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
I grew up like going out on the, the head boats and
the charter boats which I'llstill go on with my father like
every summer, just out ofnostalgia.
But uh, surf fishing's been mybig thing the last few years, so
walking on the beach and tryingto find whatever target fish
we're looking for it's usuallystriped bass we're trying to
catch and figure out wherethey're hiding and hanging out,
(12:01):
and just the challenge ofcatching them at night from the
shore it's kind of cool kayakhelps a lot get out and scout in
the kayak fish of that thenight.
Yeah, new york city in thebackground, it's pretty surreal
yeah, no, it sounds it.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
You know, I guess it wouldn't be for me because I'm
not a big ocean person.
But uh, you know, I woulddefinitely.
If I ever tried it, it wouldprobably be like a charter first
and see if I could do it first.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I keep saying I'm going to do it.
Oh, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
What's that I keep saying?
Speaker 1 (12:38):
I'm going to do like um, you know, get more into
saltwater fishing.
But like, think you knowsomething, what you even said.
You know you go on the, youknow the shoreline and
everything like that.
I know that, especially forstripers, like that's been a
really big thing.
Like, um, do you do any?
Um shark fishing too as well?
Speaker 3 (12:58):
uh, I've done it a handful of times.
I've visited a buddy down inflorida.
We caught like a nine ten foothammerhead the one night I was
driving a boat down for work todrop off and hit him up that
night I'm like let's go out andfish.
He had the drone and the rodsand everything.
We did it down there.
That was a pretty coolexperience and we'll catch him
every once in a while if we'rechunking off the front beach
(13:18):
here.
Little stuff Went out.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
I caught a big mako.
That was probably 10 years agonow 110 that was cool.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Wow, what's the fight like on one of those?
It's got to be crazy.
It's what?
Yeah, that was nuts.
It like was launching, I meanclear out of the water tail,
like everything airborne andjust shaking.
I don't even my buddy likeyou're kind of like buckled into
a little a belt and you'restrapped in semi.
But I like went to pull, myfriend grabbed my pants.
He thought I was like going in.
I'd like I got it, but it put,put me through my aces.
(13:57):
I mean that probably took mehalf hour 45 minutes to reel the
thing in I mean your arms musthave been dead after that I mean
.
So that's the thing you got theharness and your straps in so
you can kind of like squat andstart to use your legs and like
use leverage and a littlemechanical advantage.
The rods are built to do theirthing.
They take a lot of that forceout once you figure out how to
(14:18):
use all your gear properly no,it's all right, that's good
enough.
I'm going to have the thing in15 minutes I know I couldn't do
that hey, never, never, neversay
Speaker 2 (14:35):
never.
Oh, that's true right neverthat's true.
Never say never.
Let's talk pheasant, now againso like.
I was going through instagramand I saw that you had a
truckload of pheasants and I'vetwo hunted pheasants quite a bit
in my time, so I was justwondering um do you hunt like
(14:56):
state land?
Are they stock birds?
Do you go to preserves like?
Give us the background on thata little bit a little bit all of
it.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Some of the older pictures were with my springer
that was out in iowa.
Those were all public land freerange birds, which is pretty
cool there's.
I mean they were everywhere.
It was unreal.
And then, uh, I have a lab herethat I hunt with a lot.
I do a lot of public landhunting, um during the weekdays
in the mornings with my friendswhen they stock up at uh p quest
and up at flat broke and stuff.
(15:24):
And then, uh, I'm actuallyfortunate I work at a preserve.
I help manage, uh, a large farmpiece of property that we have
a commercial shooting preserveat.
So I do a lot of the guidingthere and uh during the season
for that, which actually justwrapping up, we got a couple
more days technically of theseason and then we're done for a
little while nice?
Speaker 2 (15:44):
no, because I've too also hunted, uh, flatbrook quite
a bit, and I probably ran intoyou at some point in time past
you, you know so because, um,every time I went um, none of us
have dogs.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
So yeah, you're looking at the dog right here,
you know.
So I've been there before a lotof times they run.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Well, you know the deal that they run you don't see
them, or whatever.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
So even with the dogs , they get out ahead and run and
run it's.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
It's something else watching a good dog work getting
to turn a bird or stop a birdfor you yep, and sometimes they
just hold so tight you know youwalk right by them and you don't
even see them plenty of times,even with the dog.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
I'll walk right by and you'll see the dog, like
when they catch wind or scent.
I have a flushing dog so he'llturn his head and quarter real
hard and like kind of startlooking, trying to hone in on
that, and I'll be like no, no,no, because we already walked by
it with six guys andeverybody's just standing there.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
He'll go back he'll go back.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
He'll go back.
I'll try and yell at him andthen, before you know it, there
pops a hen bird out of the grassthat was just laying there.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
I'm like I knew I should have trusted you, but
whatever so quick question sowork, what is it like working on
a preserve, like what are whatare some of the, some of the
things that you do like on aday-to-day basis and like if
you're you're taking out clientsand stuff like that kind of.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Give us that that breakdown of what that looks
like um, I mean so the preservesjust part of it, like I do all
the maintenance and grounds andgot a crew guy or a crew of guys
that takes care of the propertyand then we'll have big shoots,
uh like driven bird releases onthe weekends and then after
that we'll have guys either withtheir own dogs or members who
(17:25):
are there that want to go on aguided hunt and they'll ask and
sign up through administrationstuff and I mean I'm pretty
friendly and know most of thepeople now go out and do walk-up
hunts and it's it's pretty coolexperience.
We got river, we take the guysfishing, we do a little bit of
everything deer hunting on thefarm, that's pretty cool yeah, I
like that I like that
Speaker 1 (17:46):
a lot I would like to get back into pheasant hunting.
I actually won out of raffleand p?
Um america mike, from back tohim productions, they, they did
a raffle and the only thing Iput in for I put 200 in for the
pheasant hunts and I won.
So I have two.
I have two pheasant hunts.
I didn't have time to get itdone this year, so definitely
(18:06):
next year I will be, we'll bedoing them and everything like
that.
And I would love to get backinto, you know, pheasant hunting
and going out one.
I definitely would want a dogfor that, um yeah, I'm tired of
just just doing it, you know, by, by yourself.
But like doing in new jersey, Ilike I've almost gotten shot a
few times.
So like what for you, thebiggest change from iowa to new
(18:28):
jersey?
I mean, that is completely twoopposite ends of the of the
spectrum.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
When you're, when you're talking about not even
publicly, yeah, yeah, I meanit's world war three out there
in the trenches in new jersey.
Any, it doesn't matter whatstocking day it is, usually
there's guys lined up in thedark in the fields and it's fun.
I still do it with my friends.
We try and I mean everybody'ssafe.
I've never seen an incidenthappen for as many times as I've
(18:53):
been out there.
But it's, you hear shot rainingthrough the trees and there's
guys going in every differentdirection and out west.
I mean there's.
You're ditch hunting and roadhunting a lot of the time and
then hunting these big hundredsand of acres of crp land with
thousands of acres of cut cornaround it, with nothing.
So it's you know the birds arethere and it's you and a couple
(19:15):
buddies and you walk into afield or shut your car door too
loud and 200 birds get up andfly away I couldn't, I couldn't
even imagine.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
You don't even know which bird they aim at.
No, so you can't shoot likewaterfowl hunting.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
It's cool.
So you start having to pickthem out so you can't shoot the
hens and then the roosters.
It's like you end up trophyhunting hunting.
What if you got enough birdsaround?
You're like, all right, thosetail feathers aren't that long,
those ones aren't that long.
All right, there's a big birdand you get these 26, 28,
28-inch, 30-inch tail feathersof three, four, five-year-old
birds.
It's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
I couldn't even imagine.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
I've got them in a tree.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
I shot 31 birds the last year I was out there and I
got all their tail feathersstill saved, or one from each
bird saved in like a littleglass jar on a mantel Pretty
cool.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
That is pretty cool.
What's the limit like out there?
Because I know jersey, it'sonly two a day yeah, it was
three a day and three a day overthere.
Yeah, but still I couldn't evenimagine, because most of the
birds you know you get here,some of them don't even have
pale feathers by the time yousee it, you know there's stock
the night before.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
We're lucky if the birds make it a couple days with
all the predators and stuffaround.
I mean you walk the fields andyou see dead birds there from
the owls the night beforewhacking them and they're flying
out in the field.
But getting a dog that's I meanhunting it's fun for them.
But once you do enough and thenyou get the dog, it's just
about figuring the dog out andthat relationship and watching
(20:43):
them work and seeing all thecool stuff you can get them to
do.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, for me, because actually I bought a dog for
that specific reason.
She's a German short hairpointer, but I never.
I planned on training her but Ijust I didn't have the time.
And you know, the schools we'rehaving kids are just so
fricking expensive.
(21:07):
I'm like I don't know if I doenough pheasant hunting to pay
for that kind of school.
If I'm only going to take herout a couple of times, you know
so.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Now it's a put the time in.
I mean that's what it really is, that first year getting a dog
put the time in.
I mean that's what it really is, that first year getting a dog.
If you don't commit to it, it'syou're kind of stepping in a
bucket and trying to play catchup from there.
But it makes a huge difference.
Like I don't even care aboutshooting them.
I could stand at a field andwait for people who didn't shoot
any birds.
Be like, let's go back out andgo find you a couple, and I'd be
(21:37):
happy as could be that'sawesome.
Yeah, well see, we need morehunters like you I mean, that's
like that's the end game of it.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
That's more people we get hunting and the more
hunters you have, the more thesport can flourish and get to do
it forever yeah, because I meanI mean you know like hunting
state land a lot of times, likeyou'll get to certain spots and
there's like there's guysalready sitting under the branch
with the birds just waiting forjust waiting for that shooting
(22:07):
time.
You know, first thing in themorning, yeah, yep, and then you
know if they even see you pullup, if they're in the truck, you
just see everybody get out andit, you know it gets competitive
, you know it does I mean that's?
Speaker 3 (22:20):
it's kind of part of the lure for me is to see like
it's bad, but it's funny andlike kind of comical.
And then like I get enough timeto go out and hunt on with more
birds or I can go and buy somebirds because I have access to
them and then bring them out andstock them once everybody's
gone.
I do that more often thananything.
That's cool.
(22:40):
Pick up a half a dozen truckhere and wait till everybody
clears out and find a kid andhis dad or something like that
and go plant them in the fieldand work the dog.
It's a lot.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
It's pretty fun see that that's really awesome, that
that's really cool, because youknow, just seeing, you know how
, how the kids are with it, andespecially, like we all, we all
want to get kids into the sport.
Because you know it's there'sthere's nothing like it.
Like I can't wait till my son'sold enough so I can like start
(23:11):
taking them, like I try to rightnow incorporate him and
everything that I do, and I'msure you know I saw you try to
do the same, you know.
So it's there's just there'snothing like it.
And I remember as a kid doingthe youth days and I mean it was
just fun you know there's noother way to explain it and just
(23:32):
having those volunteers thereto, like you know, just bring
their dogs and just want, wantto see the kids do it, it's it
awesome yeah, I haven't donethat.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Like the program, I think you're talking about the
one with the state but goodfriend of mine.
He's been doing it for gosh 10,15 different years with a
couple of different dogsthroughout their lifetimes now,
and it's that's what kind oflike got me to like want to get
into it, yeah, no definitely Imean you have because it's.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
I mean there's nothing like and just seeing the
kids.
You know the look on the kids'faces and everything.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
It's just I did a uh like a kids fishing clinic thing
with uh Muskie's Inc.
This past it's like I guess itwas last May, last June over at
uh, Hackett's Town Fish Hatchery.
And we did like a classroom kindof scenario and taught them a
bunch and tore the warm waterhatchery there.
And then we went out to one ofthe ponds they have and each kid
(24:29):
got teamed up with like asupervisor, like guide kind of
person and we got them all brandnew rods and reels and a little
tackle box and then just had toadd it in one of these ponds
and they were catching hybridsand big crappie and bass and
they were just going nutswatching them.
But like it's so much fun doingthat, yeah, I mean I wanted to
see what was in the pond too,like I'd always been wanting to
(24:51):
see it, I'm like where is thisclass going?
Yeah, I'll come help out, butthat was a pretty cool
experience.
It's like yeah, what is inthere?
Speaker 1 (25:03):
like I you know, oh yeah, I can only imagine what is
in there.
I mean, I will say, new jerseydoes a very good job at um.
You know stocking andeverything like that.
You, you look at um where youhave the muskies right, yeah,
they, is it musky or pike?
Do they?
Do they suck pikes as well?
Speaker 3 (25:23):
uh, they do yeah, in some of the lakes yeah, I think
like um bud lake, bud lake hasthem, the I mean the pisaic
river has them.
Yeah, yeah, yeah front has them.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
You know I, I've seen them, you know they, they do
the catfish program where they,you know, and they're, they're,
they do a lot of great stuff,especially for fishing.
So you know, it is pretty coolbecause, like, when we talk
about New Jersey and what NewJersey has to offer, like and
it's sometimes we do it slips mymind that you can go for musky
(25:54):
and pike in New Jersey.
We even have snakeheads in NewJersey, obviously more southern
Jersey and everything like that.
But like, when you're talkingabout all around you know, a
state where people don't reallythink there's much to it when it
comes to hunting and fishing,and then it's like, hey, you
know what?
Well, guess what, you can comedown here and you catch a pike.
You know you can catch a muskieand catch a snake, and you know
(26:17):
you can go to the, to the ocean, and you can go shark fishing
and you know you can go striperfishing and everything like that
.
Like you look at just so muchthat that the state has to offer
, which does make up for thesheer small size of it.
But it is a good testament tolike at least fish and wildlife
and I've even noticed what themwith them with their uh wmas and
(26:39):
they're doing a lot more workin and uh, these wmas and
everything like that.
So there there is a lot thatthe state offers.
I mean, yeah, people docomplain and everything like
that, but you know for whatthey're doing, how much funding
I could only imagine that theyhave.
Like, this is a prettysignificant thing and you know
it is great to see.
(27:00):
Especially it's for our kids.
Like, at the end of the day,you know we're all older now.
You know we get, you know we'vewe've seen how it's like and
you know we are enjoying youknow hunting and everything like
that.
But you know it's going to bereally important for for all our
children to to enjoy it as wellno, I agree.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
and another good thing that I think jersey does
too is, as far as they give youlike I think it's like two or
two or three free fishing days,just so like anybody could go
out there, you don't go throughthe whole program, you can sign
(27:43):
up and get your mentor and yourapprentice license with somebody
who has done it like.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
That's a great way to get people into the field
absolutely fun thing.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
I'm doing that with a , with a hunter this year, one
of my buddies from work.
Um, you know, he wants to getinto hunting and everything like
that and um, so we're going tobe doing the, the, that program
right there and he'll be able tocome out with me and everything
like that, and I think it lastsfor I think what two years, I
believe.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
I think it's just a full year is what I thought.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Is it a?
Is it a full year?
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Like a full calendar from whatever day you you
purchase it.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
it's perfect for for people who don't know if they're
gonna like it.
Yet you know what I meanthey're hunting is like.
Why invest all the time, moneyand everything like that?
And you know, at the end dayhunting is getting more and more
expensive as it is.
Hey, get this person take themout, see if they like it.
(28:39):
If they really do, then theyget to go out and you know they
can take their tests andeverything like that.
And you know it is a great wayto grow the outdoors.
I'm not sure how many otherStates have it like that, but
you know I love that New Jerseydoes it that way.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
No, I agree, and it doesn't help.
You know it doesn't hurt that.
Uh, you got an extra hand ifyou need it.
I know Mike, mike, he's gonnaput you to the test oh yes, I I
really much.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Yep, you can't give away too many spots though,
because then next year once yougot their license and they start
creeping around.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
You see a cell cam pop up somewhere that's a very
good point no, I I do have somedesignated spots already for for
that.
Not, I'm not giving away any ofmy uh, you know secret spots,
but yeah, you know, I do havethat already, like yeah, yeah,
I'm gonna take this person hereand here and here and you know
it's.
You know we're hunting all overand everything like that, and
(29:33):
you know it's.
I love getting people into theoutdoors.
You know as as much as I can.
You know it's why we hold ourevents that we do, and you know
growing the community andeverything like that.
But you know, for for anyonewho's who's looking at doesn't
matter what background you'refrom.
If you're, if that's somethingyou're interested in, you know
doing that, listen all for it.
(29:54):
Come, you know, come out.
We would love to take you guysout and show you what it's
really about.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
So you know oh yeah, I thought you were gonna say
something else.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
I was like oh, okay and then it completely like I
was, and it literally just.
This is my second podcast ofthe day, so you know I
completely just slipped my mindall good, all good um, but I
want to talk to you, ryan, aboutum.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I also saw on your instagram that you had um.
It looked like two.
I think it was like two does inthe back of your truck, was
that?
Was that a trad bow?
Do you hunt with trad or no?
Speaker 3 (30:37):
yeah, I just switched over.
A couple years ago 2023, 2022season was my first year.
I sold my compound, got rid ofit, I had the trad bone I'd like
, practiced a bunch but neverreally committed, and then
finally just went for it andstuck it out.
That's all I've got now.
But that was opening day thatyear and I was right on the edge
(31:02):
of like a big oak flat wherethey were coming to feed every
night, had my corn pile thereand there was just those milling
back and forth everywhere and abig ridge.
There was a very overpopulatedpiece of property, so I was
trying to do my part and shotone, got her tagged in and no
more than 15 minutes lateranother one came walking back
through and gave me another shot, so doubled up on both of them.
(31:23):
I mean, I hunted with it ahandful of times, but that was
my first kill slash kills withit, which was pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
No, that is pretty cool.
Listen, hey, you can't beatthat.
But what was the switch likefor you?
Like, if somebody wanted to getinto it and switch like, what
would your advice be to?
Speaker 3 (31:43):
them.
Uh, try and I mean there'sdifferent sizes and kind of
learn the terminology and whatyou're looking for, what you're
wanting to do.
I mean always go talk to, likesomebody who knows what they're
talking about, a professional ora friend.
Try and get some advice beforeyou go and just buy a bunch of
stuff but find a bow you likeand start shooting it and get
(32:04):
comfortable with it.
I mean it's nice the compoundor even the crossbows nowadays,
like they're so much tools andhave technology on your side
with releases and pins andsights and stabilizers that this
is just like a stick and astring and it's all on you Like
the tiniest little flinch ormovement, or even your eyes just
(32:25):
flicker and go off, becausewhen you release and the bow so
much slower it deters the arrowjust a little bit.
You got it.
The focus and the practice isthe biggest thing.
Really.
You gotta get in the zone andshoot a lot.
I mean one of my friends whogot me into it, he's every
chance he gets he walks out thedoor, shoots a couple arrows,
(32:46):
but that's, that's how youreally get.
Get good at it.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Now, what's like your comfortable range, Do you?
Would you only shoot like past,like no further than 20, 30?
Speaker 3 (32:56):
Yeah, 25 is like I'm pretty confident.
To that I mean, mistakes happen.
I I kind of biffed it on a goodbuck this year or two.
I should say, but yeah, 20, 25,like that's about as far as I
want to shoot, nothing over that.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Okay, no, that's good to know.
Now, when you first got into it, were you shooting like months
before you got comfortable?
Were you shooting like a wholeyear with it before you got
comfortable?
Speaker 3 (33:25):
so I say I shot with it probably for a good two to
three seasons.
I was like I had the bow, I wasstill hunting with my compound,
I'd pick it up and shoot andlike I wasn't religious about it
, I wasn't.
That wasn't the only thing Iwas practicing with, because I
had my compound and I knewthat's what I was going to hunt
with.
And I think that's probably whyI got rid of the compound.
And if I wanted to hunt it wasgoing to force me to practice.
(33:49):
But it was, I mean, a year anda half two years before I was
like really even willing tothink about shooting at an
animal.
And then this will be my fourthyear coming up this year and
now I'm like I'm getting moreconfident with it.
But I never really even drewback on the majority of deer
just because I didn't feel safetaking shots.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Now I got to ask you cause I've never personally shot
one.
So let's just say, if the deeris at 20 yards and you come to
full draw, does that like alteryour vision, like your sight
vision when you're shooting?
Speaker 3 (34:26):
not really.
I mean, you're kind of bent andcantered and like the way you
draw back and anchor.
It's right under your cheek, soyou're looking down the shaft
of that arrow at your target.
You can still see your targetwith what?
You're looking at it doesn'tlike take up the whole.
Thing no, not at all.
I mean even less like becauseyou have a peep or a scope.
It's very focused but there'snothing in front.
(34:48):
It's an arrow shaft and yourbroadhead and you're kind of
looking down it and past it atthe target.
It's like throwing a baseball,like you're pointing with your
left hand and just kind ofaiming and you know the distance
(35:09):
and it feels right and you letit go and you're looking right
where it needs to hit and that's.
That's just where it goes.
Gotcha, gotcha, it's.
It's a lot of feel, likethere's a little point of aim
and you can kind of like judgewith different marks on the your
bow shaft or along the arrow.
Once you figure it out and youshoot, enough.
But it really it turns into alot of feel.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Now, what weight are you?
Speaker 3 (35:25):
pulling back.
I'm shooting a 54-pound bow,which is a little heavy, I think
, for me.
Like I'm a little bit of asmaller guy, I might drop down
to like a 48-pound.
I'm fortunate I have a friendwho just is obsessed with it.
So he's like here, take thisone one, borrow this one, like
swap out.
He's like just whatever.
(35:46):
I gave him 500 bucks for theone bow a couple years ago.
Now it's kind of like on alender program.
It's working so you can't beatthat no, so he's got actually a
new one, a different bow that hejust bought over the winter.
That's a 48 pound, he said hethinks I might like it a little
bit better.
He pushes me over the winter.
That's a 48 pound, he said hethinks I might like it a little
bit better.
He pushes me to get into, Ithink, just so he has somebody
(36:07):
to talk to about it with it,like our big circle of friends
that we can rip on everybody,all the compound and crossbow
guys, and say how much harder wemake it for ourselves and how
much better we are and all thatfun stuff now quick question on
that.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
I've heard so much it's really important about your
arrow.
So what?
What's your arrow setup looklike how long did it take you to
get?
You know, to get the rightarrows, that that, that you were
comfortable, that shot wellwith your bow and everything
like that kind of go with that.
Because that's that's what atleast what I've heard is.
You know it's a big part moreabout your arrows and everything
like that, once you find theright arrows and and everything
(36:45):
like that, and you knowswitching between whatever you
got to do, the correct length,and everything like that, like
what's that?
Speaker 3 (36:52):
process like it's.
It's the same and different aslike the compound you're, you're
tuning the bow and your arrowto meet a flight path that you
want.
So you're lengthening the shaft, shortening the shaft depending
on the flight of the arrow youcan.
You're putting a couple extratwists in your string of your
bow to tighten it up and changethe brace height.
(37:13):
So it's a little bit stifferand sends that arrow down and
I'm honestly thank god for my mybuddy chris, because he gets me
all set up.
But but it's a little different.
We're shooting a little bitheavier end arrow.
I think we both have 100-grainor 150-grain inserts and then
we're shooting bigger like a150-grain head.
So there's a lot of weight upfront and they're flying a lot
(37:35):
slower.
But I thought it's kind of alittle more weight with a little
more penetration.
Do?
Speaker 2 (37:42):
you see yourself getting a lot of pass throughs.
Have you ever you know?
Got anything like.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Both of those does I shot passed right through, went
through ribs like completely andthey were.
One was 17.
The other one was 21 yards, solike they blew through.
I've shot a handful of does.
Now the bigger bucks.
You go and hit a shoulder,which I learned this year the
hard way it's not passingthrough.
I shot one early October goodbuck, one of my target deer that
(38:17):
I've been watching for a littlewhile and step forward this
front leg drew back on him, madethe shot.
I thought I aced it like.
Made the shot.
I thought I aced it like.
Made the phone calls.
I aced it.
Blood was pouring out but Isunk it in right behind his back
shoulder went through the ribsand buried in the opposite
shoulder.
Missed all the vitals.
Watched the deer for a couplemonths on camera and then at one
on uh, the neighboringproperties that got shot.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
So yeah, of course that's.
That's how it always goesshoulder was there.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
And then about a month later during the rut, I
had a real nice buck come in andI was thinking shoulder, am I
like, don't hit the shoulder,don't hit the shoulder, and
that's what I'm saying.
I had a 17 yard like shot, likechip shot that I'm I'm shooting
tennis balls at 20 yards, soI'm confident.
Drawback everything was smoothand I let it go.
(39:04):
I've just felt my eyes likeflicker because my brain thought
shoulder, damn it, if thatarrow didn't just square in the
shoulder blade, only go in twoinches and that deer ran off
like he got stung by like a bee,didn't even care and and I
think that that's so important,right there too, you know, and I
love, I hate it sucks that ithappens, right, yeah, it's part
of it happens.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
It happens to everyone though, but like it
just shows you now, I alwaystell people, like hunting with
the bow and you know, obviouslyI'm talking with the compound,
that's still a game of inches,but so much you mentally have to
be.
So now you're doing it, youknow, with the trad, but like
now, every, like you said, eventhe flicker of your eye, like
(39:45):
everything has to be on, yep,like at least with the compound
you may be able to get away withwith a little bit.
With the trad you're notgetting away with a single thing
.
And mentally, if you like,mentally, you have to be there
and that's why you know, andit's, I feel, like that's so
normal and gonna happen toeveryone.
Like even with me, even youcould be with the crossbow.
(40:08):
You be like if you hit ashoulder, like it's going to get
to you, it's going to eat youup and it's probably going to
eat you up until you shootanother deer and it's a perfect.
You know what I mean and that's.
That's the unfortunate thing.
But that's what makes makes ithunting and, honestly, like I
love that because it makes melike to be better, like when I
have a bad shot and yes, it'sgoing to haunt you and I was I
(40:31):
was haunted, like this year Iwent to the season, you know,
after the year that I had lastyear and I struggled last year I
hit a shoulder, everything likethat and like the only thing
you could think about is like,oh my God, redemption, I need it
, yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Yep, you need that confidence back.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
I purposely, and you know what?
Yet again, it's easier for mebecause I'm using a compound,
which is crazy for me to saybecause I'm using a compound.
Usually we're comparingcompounds and crossbows, but you
know what I mean.
We're comparing compounds andtrash.
At least I could build an arrowto fully penetrate both
shoulders.
You know what I mean.
(41:08):
Versus what you're doing,you're not going to be able to.
It's going to be much harder.
Maybe with a doe you couldprobably get away with something
like that you know what I meanbut not with a, a big, mature
buck no I don't think.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
But I mean that's like you're saying.
I I knowingly tried to make itharder on myself going, taking
that next step, trying to getinto something else.
I mean I had been having greatsuccess for a string of years
and put deer on the wall.
I'm like all right, like timeto try and like take the next
step, I guess yeah, do you feellike a kid again, like with the
(41:43):
trad?
bow, like when those, when Ishot those does I was so jacked
my heart was like through theroof, just all out like shaking
when I was getting ready to draw, just because it was different
and unsure and like I don't know, it just definitely had a big
rush.
Come back from it no,absolutely now.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
Did you shoot both loose?
I might have missed it, but didyou?
You shot both loose off theground, or do you?
Speaker 3 (42:08):
know that was out of it, out of a stand.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
Yeah, now how is it trying to maneuver out of the
stand with you know?
Speaker 3 (42:17):
the trad bow my most trad bows it's.
They're longer, so it's alittle you got to really be
aware of like your cover aroundyou and the branches, because
I've had like the bottom of thelimb will like nick different
branches and that kind of stuff.
But it's, it's not too bad.
You're kind of your bend is alittle bit different, like in
(42:38):
the knees and the waist and howyou have to lean over, depending
on the angle, like a straightunder your shots, like super
hard.
You got I don't have a whiskerbiscuit or like catcher or
anything, you're just kind ofresting it on your, your bow,
but it's not too different.
Same principles, like theknowing when to draw is the hard
part, because you kind of gotto have like I'm looking for
(43:00):
little windows where their theirhead's going to pop behind a
tree so I can actually draw andshoot.
You're not wanting to hold itlike you would a compound or a
crossbow, so I'm setting up thatlike moment of the shot, like
it's not, like you can draw backand be like, oh, I'm just gonna
hold it here for a minute or 30seconds or whatever.
It's like shit.
(43:21):
I'm drawn back, like I I'm thearrow's gonna fling like if I
don't do something yeah, yeah alittle little bigger of a
decision to draw and the timingof it and planning it.
That's a lot different.
You need some cover.
So, yeah, picking your treesand setting up has's a lot
different.
You need some cover.
So, yeah, picking your treesand setting up has been a little
bit different.
Trying to like find a spot toshoot a deer with a recurve
(43:43):
versus my compound, like I'm notjacked up 25 feet, 20, 25 feet
in a tree anymore.
I'm looking for that spot.
That's 15 feet off the groundwith good cover.
That's right.
And like you got a real goodcover wall to one side.
As soon as I step out I'mtaking my shot.
I don't like corn piles anymoreat all because like there's
(44:04):
eyes too many eyes around.
You can't like draw back andwait.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
You got to draw and shoot and it's just hard with a
lot of deer around yeah, it'sfunny you say it because this is
actually the first year Istarted um hunting over a bait
pile and I noticed that a lot.
And I noticed even with mysaddle I can get up.
I think I was getting likearound 15, 16 feet yeah, and
(44:30):
just when they come into thosecorn piles I mean I don't know
if it's there by me, Well, Ithink it's there probably.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
They're just looking everywhere and I have deer
behind me to the side andthey're just like they're just
looking in the trees, lookingfor you the big one's the last
one that's going to come inafter all the does, and
everybody else hasn't alreadymade you so yeah, I'll, I'll
definitely say, like you know, I, I think the amount of times I
(44:57):
hunted over corn this year, Ithink, was only like to try to
get my dough out the way in theearly season, right, and then
after that, but you know, Ifinding the acorns dropping, and
when I found, you know, frank,definitely, can, you know,
contest this because I, you know, I taught it like that was my
mission, you know, was justfinding, find that hot tree, and
(45:22):
it's crazy because they don'tcome in the same way.
You know what I mean, they werenot looking all like, they came
in without a care, kind of inthe world.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
Beeline right to it, head down eating Exactly.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Natural patterns will outperform a bait pile a
hundred a hundred percent, andit was nice because I mean there
was five, six, seven deeraround and like it, just like
they.
Their eyes weren't all up, solike you could get away with a
lot more movement and I couldjust adjust in the saddle.
Or you know, because I'm tryingto film, I can do other stuff
and even when, like they thoughtthey caught me right or they
(45:57):
saw movement, it wasn't the same.
I feel like if it was on a cornpile, you know where you're
probably going to get thembecome really skittish.
I think, honestly, they saw somemovement.
They probably thought maybe itwas a squirrel, maybe it was
just the wind blowing Like a lotof those days, it was just like
windy and the branches.
The wind blowing like a lot ofthose days, it was just like
windy and the branches.
(46:17):
And that's why I like being intrees, that just I do have that
cover, because I kind of justlook like another branch just
moving with the wind and I kindof only try to move when the
wind is blowing, so so I can getaway with more movement.
But just a night and daydifference, I mean I absolutely,
I get it why people do it andlisten.
I'm opening day.
Next year I'm probably going tohunt right over corn so I can
(46:40):
kill my doe, like right overUntil.
Like you know, and I'llprobably, it's a great way to
kill does in the early seasonout the way.
But yeah, they're just way moreskittish and they just all they
do is look up.
In the especially as the seasongoes on, all they're doing is
looking up.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Looking up, yep, all they do is look up in the,
especially as the season goes on, all they're doing is looking
up, looking up, yep, no, but I Inoticed even, like on our um,
our property, upstate.
That's why I was so I'm sosuccessful, because we have, I
mean, I mean a shit ton of acorntrees so you can go anywhere,
basically, and that you're gonnahave deer walk by and, like you
said, it's just, it's so justdifferent hunting, because they
come in, they're, you know,they're not looking at nothing,
they're not worried aboutnothing, they're just walking
(47:24):
and doing their thing and it itmakes it so much easier to get
away with so much more withoutit their pattern.
Speaker 3 (47:31):
You can get them patterned more in daylight.
They're not a skittish.
There's a million thingswithout it.
I mean for running a camera tosee what's there.
But it's that big buck's alwaysthere in the middle of the
night and you're all.
He was there again.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
But yeah, you gotta figure out in between there
where he's at eating yep, andyou know, what I noticed a lot
too with um having corn piles iswhen I was going in I was
bumping a lot of deer, because alot of deer were staying right
there.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
So it's.
It's also a thing like yougotta, you kind of got to treat
it.
It is a food source.
So, like you know, especiallyearly in the morning, like you
bump a lot of deer off of baitpiles, just like you would bump
if you're going in a morninghunt and you're, you're walking
through an ag field or somethinglike that.
Speaker 3 (48:18):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
So like I always tell people like yeah, I yet again
like I do it opening weekendbecause that's, that's the
tradition.
And then I kind of reallystopped hunting, like morning
hunts, because I really like, ifI'm going to hunt a food source
like that, like there's noreason.
Exactly Right.
Versus like, ok, you want tohunt.
If you're going to hunt themorning, you got to hunt a
(48:41):
transition spot, you got to huntbedding.
Like you don't want to be righton top of hunting corn piles,
you're going to be, even ifyou're 20, 30 yards off, it
doesn't matter, you're stillmost likely going to bump deer
off.
Versus in the evening hunt, Ijust find it so much easier
because you could just you couldjust beat them too and yeah,
you may bump like a, a deer ortwo off because it's corn and
(49:04):
they, I feel like they could bethere whenever.
But I don't think it's it's asserious as a problem.
Um, you know, and I've had acouple people reach out like oh
well, you know I haven't beenhaving success and you know I
use corn and you know more well,yeah, you know what?
And I did the same thing,especially like when I was
younger and everything like that.
Like it's the new jersey way100.
(49:25):
But like as you, as you learnand you grow, it's like all
right, like okay, this is whyit's not working, because this
is it is a food source it is afood source, yeah, you know.
And and if you want to kill big,big bucks, like it's just, you
know and people are like, ohwell, I kill big bucks over, it
happens, it does happen, it doeshappen.
(49:46):
But I, I do still think, likeyou're, if you're trying to play
the percentage game, you knowthe percentage of success you
may have.
Hunting a different method maywork for you in the long run.
Unless you have unlimited time,like if I had every single day,
like, okay, it's going, it'sdefinitely going to happen, like
(50:07):
you're eventually gonna.
You're playing the, the oddsare are in your favor.
So you know there's nothingwrong with it.
You know we've all done it.
You know I, I, as long as and Ialways tell people, as long as
it's legal, I really I don'tcare, like Get out there and do
it.
Speaker 3 (50:22):
Get out there and do it.
Speaker 1 (50:23):
Like if, if the state allows you to do it, who cares
what somebody else says?
Like if, if they're giving youshit for it, listen at the day,
it's legal.
It doesn't make you know anyworse any better.
Like it's just a differentmethod of of hunting, but you
can always change it up of howyou're doing it.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
Yep, no 100.
So what I was trying to do lastyear is, you know, I would hunt
this side of the farm, then I'dhunt this side of the farm, so
I wasn't always just worriedabout the bait pile.
I would go in there with thequad, throw my corn down or
whatever, and then I'm out andthat's it.
Then I would rely on thecameras to do most of my work
(51:04):
now, you don't want thempatterning you yeah, yeah, and
they and they will, and they doit pretty quick.
You're in their bedroom.
Speaker 3 (51:13):
You're in their bathroom.
Like, yeah, somebody walks inyour house and moves some stuff
around or leaves you like asteak on the table, you're gonna
know like what the hell isgoing on no, absolutely, because
even even mike knows that.
Speaker 2 (51:26):
Um, this past year I didn't go out in the morning and
I was after this one specificdeer.
It was was a beautiful10-pointer.
I was at work.
He showed up in the morning andI told Mike I was like I'm
going to leave work because,guaranteed this buck's going to
come back tonight and I want tobeat him.
I'm going to leave right fromwork and I'm going to beat him
(51:49):
there.
And sure, shit enough, I'mcalling Mike at like 5.30.
Hey, I shot him.
(52:16):
I think it was a good shot, butit was a classic.
I thought he took a step whenhe didn't and I hit him dead,
smack in the shoulder.
Speaker 1 (52:16):
And actually.
I'll send the video to you,Ryan, and you'll see him.
Speaker 2 (52:16):
He literally does backflips he falls on the floor.
Like his reaction.
I was like, oh he's, he's done,yeah he thought you smoked some
good and I'm alreadycelebrating.
I didn't sleep that night.
I'm calling mike, I'm like yougotta come up here and you know,
one of my buddies squatches.
I was like, hey, you gotta comeup here.
And everybody came out and thenthat was the only good thing
(52:36):
that we had that video, becausewe just kept replaying it and
replaying it and we're like, yep, like there it is.
None of us noticed that nightbecause of his reaction to me
hitting him.
I think we're also crazy.
Yeah, I think so too Probablyreaction.
Speaker 1 (52:51):
So we're like, oh yeah, like this is a dead deer.
Like we're like, oh yeah, likethis is a dead deer, like we're
gonna find this deer, like, ohman, like it.
It was one of the craziestreaction that I've seen.
Like you've seen some prettywild stuff like this thing.
I don't.
I just blew my mind that, like,it just was not a lethal shot
yep yeah, they're tough animalsman like air of margin is like
(53:16):
fractions of an inch.
Speaker 3 (53:17):
You can be off.
Speaker 2 (53:20):
Yeah, I learned that the hard way too.
Speaker 1 (53:22):
We all have.
Speaker 2 (53:23):
We all have Too many times Yep, so don't feel too bad
.
But, Mike, you got anythingelse?
You want to stop there?
Speaker 1 (53:34):
You know the one thing.
Actually I don't even know ifwe got into it on the in the
200th right, was it the, thehalloween episode?
Um, I can't even remember nowwhich.
Whatever um did we go over what?
Um, if you could hunt anywherein the world, what would your
(53:54):
dream hunt be, and where?
Anywhere.
Money is not an option.
Money is not an option.
You don't have to worry Somehowsomeone's paying for this hunt.
Speaker 3 (54:07):
I don't know A rutting stag or something would
just hear them things screamingat you.
It would be pretty wild,whether it's Europe or south
america, like just seeing theirmassive, the racks and the steam
coming out.
Like hear one of them thingsscreaming and coming like a cool
, like an elk yeah, like samething, but it's like an elk on
(54:30):
steroids and something Iprobably never even get the
chance to do.
So I'll say something like thatyeah, that's a good one.
Speaker 1 (54:37):
Now and also one more question I really wanted to ask
you.
You know you're coming to youknow hunting a state like Iowa
and everything like that.
And then you come to New Jerseyand kind of, like I said before
, like you're going from a statethat it's just way different.
You know it's a land of giantsand you talk about pheasant
hunting and everything like that, but then you come to a state
(55:04):
like New Jersey where it's more,I guess, quantity over quality
and we but we do have some bigdeer and everything like that.
You know we have the bear, wehave, you know, the saltwater
fishing that you love to do andeverything like that.
Speaker 3 (55:20):
You know what's kind of been your, your first
reaction when you you came overhere, versus like kind of like.
Now I mean that's the nicething like there's differences
and nuances to it, no matterwhere you go.
Like you're saying there's moredeer and maybe not as big out
here, but you're competingagainst all the people.
You're trying to find these newlittle spots and different
tactics to make it work.
Like there's just differentlittle nuances that you can use
(55:41):
to challenge yourself.
I think finding new ways tochallenge myself and figure out
something else.
That's really more of what it'sabout.
But, like I always, yeah, itwas a paradise for deer hunting,
it says, but the fishing outhere is bar way better than it
was out in the Midwest.
Speaker 2 (55:59):
That makes sense?
No, that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (56:01):
I mean you cater to wherever you end up in the
country.
Wherever you go, you're goingto find your niches for that
season.
If you're an outdoorsman,you're snook fishing, tarpon
fishing in Florida and chasinghogs, and then you're out west,
you're elk hunting, trying toshoot sheep and fly fish in the
rivers, like that's what's coolabout it.
Anywhere you go, you can findsomething to get into that's
(56:25):
actually perfectly sad and it'sit's right.
Speaker 1 (56:27):
Like every, I think all states are definitely unique
.
I mean, I love new jersey andit's always like okay, you know,
we me and the fiance we talkedabout the move into PA and like,
and even though moving to PAlike not far away from the
border, so we could still comeback to New Jersey and hunt,
like and stuff like that, but,like you know, every state's
(56:49):
just different Like, and youknow I, like you, said in Texas,
like oh, I would love to hoghunt, like that's something I
really want to do be able tojust go out with the, with the
ar, or take a night vision ortake a, do a helicopter hunt.
Like you know, we talked tofrank and I talked to my buddy,
um jaeger from and he lives downin in, uh, texas, and he was
(57:11):
like, yeah, like the pilot gotlike what he said like 10 or 15
feet off of the ground.
Speaker 2 (57:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (57:17):
Kind of like sideways and they were just like laying
it down.
Yeah, and it's like that soundsso cool, like holy shit, like,
yeah, texas doesn't have, likethe, the deer hunting, in my
opinion, compared to most of thestates.
You know I like the coldweather, I like that really
ruddy action.
They, they don't have that butthey make up it for hey, you can
(57:39):
go down there and you canliterally you want to set like a
TNT off and explode like hogsand everything like that,
because there's such a nuisanceLike you can do it, you can, you
know you can.
Um, is it got?
You know you could do like anafrican hunt there.
You could do, you could doexotic hunts there.
Like it does make up for it.
It has its own, uh, uniquenessand you know new jersey is one
(58:01):
of those other states that youknow it does have a lot to offer
and you know we love it and youknow that's um perfect answer
but, um, frank, any I, I thinkthat's my.
Speaker 2 (58:11):
those are, those are my last few closing statements
yeah, I think that's.
Hey, ryan, appreciate youcoming on the show again.
It was a pleasure to meet you.
So I still can't believe youfish with my cousins.
I still can't get over that,sorry, but that's awesome.
But, hey, man, I appreciate youcoming on the show.
Everybody give give Mr Ryan apit and a follow.
(58:33):
And give mr ryan a pit and afollow and you know, hopefully
we can get you back on again andwe'll talk some more hunting
and fishing bud.
Speaker 3 (58:41):
What do you think?
Yeah, I like it, man.
It's thanks for having me outand uh, talking with you guys.
It's, it's a ton of fun.
I mean anytime, shoot the shitand talk about the outdoors.
I'm game, so keep me posted allright, sounds good.
Speaker 2 (58:53):
All right, everybody.
We appreciate you guys alltuning in and we'll see you guys
next time.
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