October 11, 2025 • 41 mins
We trade the “October lull” myth for real field notes on wind, drought, and timing rain, while gearing up for New Jersey’s bear week and a patient whitetail plan built on funnels, scrapes, and clean access. Midwest drought, East Coast color, and tag policies collide as we map the best sits ahead.
• warm, dry, and calm evenings changing wind strategy
• why high winds don’t shut deer down
• drought impacts on scrapes, scent, and sign
• reading turkeys as deer security in open fields
• post-rain movement windows and minimalist rain gear
• e-bike access to reduce noise and ground scent
• funnels, forced movement, and evening-only access plans
• passing good bucks for target deer as patterns flip
• NJ bear tactics without bait and scouting fresh sign
• Wisconsin bear tag delays and team camp plans
• Midwest vs East Coast timing and foliage contrasts
• team-first mindset, content goals, and season outlook
Good luck to everyone in New Jersey heading out for the Bear Woods. Stay safe and have fun
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:31):
Yeah, the last trip over, I shot a great cake off
whooping the bow charging.
SPEAKER_03 (00:36):
And then the whooping.
And then you hear all right,boys.
We are back.
Field notes number five.
It's been a couple of weekssince we've all been on.
It has been crazy to alreadystart the year.
Um, I don't know.
It feels like this year wasdifferent.
Like, usually, and you guys are,you know, being new and
everything like that to theteam, like usually we're on it.
(00:59):
But I feel like after right now,we're leaving the woods.
Everyone gets home so late.
Everyone has different things todo.
A lot of the guys there, youknow, Connor, Zach, you know,
they Frank, all you guys, um,Craig, you guys all have kids,
family, stuff that you need todo.
By the time I get home, it'sit's super late already.
But we're slowly getting intothat time now where this sunset
(01:20):
is going at.
I think we're at 6.25 here inNew Jersey today.
It's gonna keep going down.
So this will be a lot easiermoving forward to to get on and
everything like that.
But boys, how's how's it been?
Uh I enjoying every minute ofit.
SPEAKER_02 (01:36):
Yeah, yeah, it it's been good.
It's been uh, you know, rightnow, like you know, they call
that, you know, like jury boyssay this is kind of starting the
October lol, but man, I I don'tknow I don't believe in that one
bit.
No, I I I I think I think it'sall property base, where you are
(01:57):
in the country, yeah, uh thedeer on the property, the the
whole setup.
Um, so yeah, I I'm not a hugebeliever in that no um as well.
But um what I have noticed justrecently, I mean, I I like I
said in the last podcast, like Icould have tagged out on October
(02:17):
1st, but Mike, if you rememberthat buck, I mean it was a nice
buck, um decent, pretty goodsize body, but he short-timed
wide a-pointer, that it justwasn't the guy I was going for.
Um, the the two that I am havebeen showing up uh consistently,
but they're two and a half hoursafter shooting light, a lot of
(02:41):
nocturnal blah blah blah, butthat's obviously gonna change.
Oh, it's gonna change like that.
Yeah, the the the one thingthat's been and I don't know how
it's been there out on the eastcoast, Mike, but it's obviously
been probably been very similarfor Craig and I.
But what I have noticed thisyear early season, and it's been
(03:02):
really frustrating, as we knowthe number one defense mechanism
of a whitetail is their nose.
Okay, and every it's been reallywarm, really dry.
Yeah, but we have been at leastin my situation on my friend's
(03:23):
farm in south central Wisconsin.
I mean, normally it's the last35 to 40 minutes, you know, that
sun, the sun sets, and thenwhatever the wind is, it dies
down.
Yeah, sometimes there's still alittle bit of wind, other times
it's completely still, and weknow when it becomes completely
(03:44):
still, that is not good from awhitetails perspective.
When they cannot be able toscent check, blah blah blah.
But I what I've been noticing,it's been really strange for
over the past two weeks.
I'm talking five o'clock centralstandard time, the winds have
died, and we've had a lot ofsouth winds, southeast winds.
SPEAKER_01 (04:09):
We had a lot of southeast, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (04:11):
Yeah, and it's been bizarre.
I mean, the the times I've beenon stand, it's the last hour and
a half of shooting light.
There's no wind.
And I'm like, this is not good.
Yep, so that that this has beenum a very different early season
for me in terms of playing thewind and everything.
(04:35):
So yeah, it's awesome to be inthe stand, but it it it's been a
struggle so far.
SPEAKER_01 (04:41):
No, and I I can relate it like that because I
even like like last nightsitting that river bottom stand,
I had a southwest wind, whichthat stand is good for.
Um it was 17 mile per hourwinds, and also like like Connor
was saying, 530, 535 hits, it'salmost like if I spit, I'm gonna
echo the freaking woods.
And I I personally hate, youknow, I have a lot of friends
(05:05):
here at bow honey on the I lovecoming when you know I don't
want to go wind because I can Ican hear the deer.
But do you understand?
They can also hear you if you'rechewing gum or if you're doing
something, they're gonna hearthat.
I want the wind.
I want the wind.
I'm not saying I want a 30, 40mile per lens, but like when I
had last yesterday at 4 o'clock,17 milepark lens, I loved it.
(05:28):
I loved it.
I loved every second of it.
And that wind died down, I feltlike now, oh, you gotta be a
mummy.
Use your numbers.
You move one bit.
I mean, everyone, I don't know.
I I guess I've had encounterswith it.
I've had problems with it, likewhere the wind dies down, you
think you're like this moving,blah, blah, blah.
(05:50):
You think you can hear the deerwalking through the woods.
I tell you what, yeah, you can'talways hear them when that
wind's calm as hell because I'vebeen picked out more than I
should have been.
And those deer 30 yards behindme, I never knew they were
there.
You think, well, there's nowind, I should be able to.
I knew they were coming in.
SPEAKER_02 (06:08):
No, that's that's no, and as you all 98% of the
time, it's all freakingsquirrels, you know, they're
they're getting those acorns andthey're taking them up to their
deal for the winter.
Um yeah, the the whole windthing, like people saying, like,
you know, they don't want theythey want less wind or whatever,
(06:30):
and then there was the the youhear a lot about oh, when
there's 20, 30 mile an hourwinds, the deer don't move.
Bullshit, they do they dothey're they're gonna do the
same thing that they do everyyear during the rut.
Um, I that's been something thatI have been uh frustrated with,
(06:50):
you know, early on the season.
I want that wind, I want them tobe able to get up and move.
And hopefully, as a as a bowhunter, common sense, we've made
the right choice to sit in thestand that's gonna be most
favorable to us with that windin our face.
Yeah, and you know, obviouslythere's always marginal winds
(07:13):
where we can maybe get away withsome stuff, but yeah, it's been
it's been really strange so far,Mike.
So hopeful, hopefully that'sgonna change here pretty quick.
SPEAKER_01 (07:21):
And it's funny that to relate on that comment about
like the high winds and deerdon't move in highs.
That's false because like theproperty that I hunt in
Chronicle, we got so my I don'thave like the 40, 80, or 120
acre woods.
I it's it's a travel core.
And everyone says, Oh, I don'tknow how you're gonna hunt that
travel corner so much, you canmust get frustrated on seeing
money deer.
(07:42):
See, that's to me that's falsebecause I'm personally hunting
in it.
I love a travel corner becausewhen it comes to running, I want
to be in a travel court.
I want to be in the freakingwoods, sitting on the river or
on the edge of the pig cornerfield.
Like I want to be there.
And I my property alone, like Ican relate to this because I've
seen it.
I went as it, you know, not thisyear yet, because we haven't had
(08:04):
really I haven't hunted in like25, 30 mile per hour winds, but
like going back to like springturkey, they always say if you
got high winds, turkeys want tobe in the open so they can be
alert and for their predators orwhatever.
I've noticed it where like ifit's really, really high winds
and I'm in a field, I'm seeing ashitload of deer in that field.
(08:26):
So I it might just be me, Idon't know, but I look at it
very, very high winds, and Iwant to get to a field if it's
the right wind for a high wind,but I know I'm gonna see deer,
and I have seen deer.
Like I they're they're out therebecause they're they feel more
comfortable, they feel to me, Ifeel like they feel more safe
out there because they can'thear, but now they got their
(08:48):
eyesight.
SPEAKER_02 (08:49):
Yeah, well, and and in my opinion, I think a number
one indicator for deer to startmoving out of the woods edge in
the evening or the morning.
If they see a flock of turkeysout there, because you know,
turkeys can pick you off from300 yards, you move a half an
(09:09):
inch and you're pinned andyou're done.
They're using them as security.
That's what they're doing,they're using them as security.
The deer know that if they see aflock of turkeys out there, then
they I think they feel morecomfortable.
Okay, it's all right to startmoving out and feeding.
SPEAKER_03 (09:24):
So we'll see.
All right, all right, I'll agreewith you on that.
And you know, I will say,especially yet again, we were
out September.
That was happening the firstcouple of weeks of the season
for us, where all of a suddenthe wind would just die down and
be nothing.
Um, it was really weird.
Now that we're getting into thefall for us, like a lot of the
(09:45):
leaves have fully changed, likeit is like we're in full, we're
finally in that full fallweather, and also it has gotten
we the other day was 33 degrees.
Um the last the last couple dayshas been like the woods have
just changed.
(10:06):
So, as everyone knows, you know,or if you don't know, our bear
season starts Monday.
Um, so we you know, we werewe're out scouting last week,
and how we kind of do it isbecause here in New Jersey, you
can't hunt on over bait, and youhave to be a hundred yards away.
(10:26):
Oh so what we do is we go outand kind of hunt them like deer,
and we go out and find thefreshest sign.
So we try to find cornfields,acorn like where where are they
going to be?
Everything that we do, swamps.
You know, they're gonna be in aswamp, you know what I mean?
You know, like you know, we findstanding corn, boom, we're
always finding bear sign andeverything like that.
(10:48):
And that's kind of how we we wedo it.
Uh next year, when you guyscome, um we have already
decided, and even for us too inthe future, to start, we're
gonna put, I think, at least twobear sites out.
Um, because sometimes huntingthat style of deer, just like
any other animal, sometimesthey're just not there.
(11:10):
Like they're around in the area,but they're just not I we want
them coming in as much,especially on a cornfield or or
something like that.
Like it just will help and makethings uh just a little easier.
Um, but not much sign last yearuh or last week, not not much
sign, not much deer sign, likethere were some scrapes, you
know, your stuff like that, notmuch bear sign.
(11:32):
Like we found like one or twogood spots.
And this week we were out today,and the difference of the woods,
first of all, everything'syellow, orange, everything like
that.
You got that beautiful fallfoliage coming coming in, and
then rub, scrape, bear poop,bear print.
(11:54):
We found a monster track.
Um and then we found a nicescratch tree where a bear just
went up and we don't even thinkwasn't even standing up, just
reached his arm up and just andjust scratched.
Um, so the woods are they'rethey're coming alive.
I had a spike mouth open,breathing all heavy, chasing,
(12:15):
chasing those around andeverything like that.
Yeah, I I you guys saw that andeverything like that.
Uh like a freshman in college,baby, just trying to find that
fresh tail.
And that's the thing, like it'sit's that's exactly what it is.
It is a hundred percent.
Giants just haven't just haven'tstarted coming out yet.
And you know, something I love,and ever since I I I said this
(12:36):
on a podcast a couple years ago.
The rut is like a bunch ofcollege kids going out to a bar,
they're doing a bunch of fuckingcocaine, yeah, they're doing a
bunch of Red Bull and vodka, andthey're literally just trying to
get laid or or or fight, andthat's literally what it is.
It's a bunch of crackheads justrunning around.
(12:56):
It is.
Um and right now, like likeCraig said, we got the
freshmans, the the youngins areare getting a little horny
before you know the the maintime, but man, it's I'm so
excited.
Like, I can't wait.
Like this, yeah, and it seemslike we're actually gonna get
real fall weather, we're gonnaget real winter this year, and
(13:18):
everything like that.
Something that we've beenmissing for a couple years.
I've heard you know the rumorsof the rut is going to be more
like a a normal rut.
I agree, and things like that.
And you already saw I I thinkI'm yeah, I'm already starting
to see things, especiallycompared to last year.
We had that drought.
I don't know about you guys, butI imagine you guys had the
(13:40):
drought too last year andeverything like that.
And the woods were just verydifferent last year.
Like, I I didn't wasn't seeingas many scrapes, rubs, and now
this year it's like completelydifferent.
SPEAKER_02 (13:54):
I think, and I don't know how it was up in uh Craig's
area in Green Bay, but uh I onthe podcast last week, Mike.
I I think the the drought, atleast in south central
Wisconsin, has been worse here.
I mean, to your point, usuallyobviously Midwest.
You guys see all of our weathertwo days later, whatever.
(14:16):
We have not when I was sittingon stand last night, and I you
know, I sat to, and I'vementioned before off our um
friend's farm, there's 3,000acres of the Cherokee Marsh, and
there are absolute likeworld-class deer in there, but
(14:37):
when you got that much acreage,obviously they've got a lot of
places to hide to where theydon't need to come through the
woods.
But point being, when I wassitting on stand, I was just
kind of enjoying sitting there,taking everything in, and the
leaves.
I mean, to hear you Mike saythat you're already getting that
color.
(14:57):
I mean, here we are Saturday,October 11th, and the maples,
which usually the autumn blazeones, you know, they start from
the top, getting their you know,beautiful red color.
We're I mean, we have a littlebit of it, but in the woods on
my friend's farm.
Now, again, I sat to uh publicstand off to the west of his
(15:21):
property last night.
There's literally zero color.
Yeah, it's been so dry.
Yeah, we have hot.
Yeah, yeah, the leaves are justfalling.
There's just no color.
SPEAKER_01 (15:34):
I have nothing in green uh in Croggo.
It's it's it's all green.
Yeah, it's all green.
SPEAKER_02 (15:39):
I don't I don't know how that's I mean, the the deer
are gonna whitetails are gonnado their same thing every year.
Yeah, it's it's just gonna beinteresting.
SPEAKER_03 (15:48):
Well, you gotta you gotta remember, and this is a
big especially when it comes toscrapes, and this is something I
and I think we talked about thison a earlier show too.
Last year, I know there's nomoisture in the ground, and they
need that for what when they'remaking scrapes.
They share, I mean, you couldsee like for for us on the east
coast and here in Jersey, likewe have that.
(16:09):
Like, I you know, I went to makea mock scrape and made a mock
scrape, and you could just seethe it's actual like dirt, like
you could smell the moisture,you could smell that real dirt,
it's not real dry, like and itwill hold the urine and
everything like that.
SPEAKER_01 (16:24):
Um, it's funny that you say that, but because um
yesterday I um well yeah,yesterday for my hunt, I went by
my ground line and I went andI'm not gonna lie, I pissed in
my ground line, and then umcoming back, coming back out, I
took my flashlight on the groundon the scrape, drier than dry.
(16:46):
Now, it's funny because likewhen I made that mask scrape by
that ground line, when I put itup like a week ago, I was you
know, just you know, kicking thedust up when I was kicking the
dirt up.
It was literally just just dust.
There was no moisture, it wasjust all just it was just dry.
And then I found that my post Imade today.
(17:06):
I found it's like where myground line is about 25 yards
up, a buck made a scrape andjust rubbed the hell out of that
tree, which I posted onInstagram.
It's drier than dry.
Like it's there's no moisture atall where I am right now.
Yeah, I mean zero here.
Yeah, I mean, I'm I'm we'reliterally wrapped around the
Pasaki River and they call it ariver, not a crick.
(17:29):
Well, if I wanted to right now,I can put my crocks on, walk
across that river, across therocks in the backyard, and I got
my feet wet.
That's how low that water isright now.
It's yeah, it's a game.
It's pretty bad.
SPEAKER_03 (17:42):
Yeah, it's uh we we got right now a northeastern
hitting us for the next coupledays.
Um, I think it rained.
Rained the other day.
Um and now it's it's gonna rainfor the next three days uh hard.
Um and it's yeah, I mean, afterwith bear and everything like
(18:04):
that, Monday we'll we'll seewhat we're what we're gonna get
Monday and everything like that.
But Tuesday, that firstrainfall, anybody listening,
whether you're hunting deer,bear, whatever, the minute it
starts slowing down or lets up,you got to get to the woods.
They're gonna be on their feetimmediately.
(18:27):
Um, and that's exactly like we,you know, we're hoping that
Monday, it's not a completewashout.
We're hoping we can get out.
It's if it's a light rain, we'regonna be out there.
Um, you know, if it's atorrential downpour, obviously
we're not it's not even worthit.
And but Tuesday, we're reallylike our eyes are really set for
Tuesday.
(18:47):
It's like, all right, and Ithink you'll see a lot of bears
or and deer get killed afterthis this storm, and it's
supposed to be nice and cool.
Um, so deer should definitelyanimals should be moving.
SPEAKER_02 (19:03):
Yeah, that's why I think those uh I bought one last
year.
Um Muddy makes one.
I think a bunch of companies,but those, you know, the same
thing as like your um the bowhanger, you know, a lot of the
companies make this the screw inuh for the umbrella.
Oh dynamite, yeah.
You know, especially to yourpoint, Mike, if it's not a
(19:25):
driving rain, if it's somethingthat's just showers, they're
they're still gonna get up tomove and feed and and whatnot.
Um, so yeah, that that'ssomething I've always got in my
pack, especially for earlyseason.
That's smart.
SPEAKER_03 (19:40):
I mean, I I've I've had one.
Um I I'm such a mobile, I moveso much, and the problem, like I
I need a cut down on stuff thatI have.
Yeah, right.
But it's a smart thing to have,like to keep, and I'm probably
gonna get one to keep in thetruck for days, kind of like
that.
(20:00):
Um, that would be like somethingthat's necessary.
Like, obviously, you got I gotthe rain gear, everyone get has
the rain gear and everythinglike that.
But especially with camera, youknow, when we're talking camera
equipment and everything likethat, like then like being dry
actually becomes like a prettyserious like thing for me
because now we're we're dealingwith expensive equipment of you
(20:22):
know, and I'm not gonna be ableto just replace that just like
like that.
Right, right.
Um, and then also boys, Ifinally, and everyone, you know,
usually I find a bunch of goodbucks, and this year I wasn't
finding really any.
I I found like maybe one, butno, like, oh my god, giant, like
(20:44):
none that I was like, yes, likethat's the deer I'm chasing.
And this week I have found notone, but two, and just one of
them is just an absolute jersey,just stud.
And I have slowly but surely,piece by piece, finding exactly
(21:07):
the area that he beds in.
And when I first saw him uhearlier in the week or last
week, he hit my camera at ninesomething.
And there's three spots where Ithought he was bedded, and I was
like, all right, I'm gonna goacross the river, and I think
he's I think he's over there.
(21:27):
Let me go, I go across theriver, just deer sign just
everywhere, just tracks.
It's not, it's kind of like whatwhat you're talking about, it's
a travel quarter.
They're not I don't thinkthey're they're betting in
there, but they're cruising it.
And during the rut, it isthere's a creek, there's there's
a creek bottom.
They are going to be cruising,yeah.
And it leads from one beanfield, and if he goes into
(21:50):
across the river, it goes toanother bean field.
Um, and I think he's somewherebetween where I put my second
camera and one of the beanfields.
And the cool thing is, too,without giving too much away,
you know, he can't go forward,he has to go left to right.
(22:11):
Right?
You can't like it's it's itfunnels per like he just can't
do it.
Right?
Not no human can do it, noanimal can do it unless you can
fly.
Um, and I am going to go theopposite side after Bear Week
and put another camera where Ithink he is, and put the piece
of the puzzle.
I need a north, northeast wind,and I could probably get in
(22:34):
there with a northwest wind.
Hunting morning, I've already,unless like I buy myself a
little canoe or kayak orsomething, yeah, is is kind of a
no-go.
It'd be way too loud for me tocross that river walking.
Um but it's gonna have to beevening hunting, and that might
be something a hunt where ithits 10 a.m.
(22:54):
and I just walk right in andhave lunch, everything is gonna
be in my pack.
I get out there at 10 a.m.
and I don't leave until I killthem or until I run out of time.
Yeah, so I obsolete.
SPEAKER_02 (23:09):
Yeah, I mean, I mean, for those uh situations, I
uh like Squatch said, I save thepennies, it was just delivered
on uh Wednesday.
I got my first e-bike, so I amso frigging pumped about that.
I got the baskets for it andeverything, and the you know,
the the braces that you'd put ona four-wheeler to hold a rifle
(23:33):
or whatever, but you know, theycan hold a bow.
And as I've as I've said beforeon the show, um my my buddy's
property, uh it's it's extremelydifficult to ask access any
stand without you know lettingthem know you're there.
And I I really feel the the fareast side of the farm is the
(23:54):
number one stand where I've gotyou know Gerard's uh the the
pre-orbital, and they arehammering.
I've got love pre-orbital, lovepre-orbital, seven different
bucks hammering that everysingle night, working the
scrape, um hitting you know thelicking branch or whatever.
(24:15):
And I I really feel like that isgonna be the key.
Uh, the I don't know when thecorn's gonna come down with how
dry it is this year, but yeah, Ibetween the woods edge and the
corn, I should still be able toget in there, and just to not
even if you spray down the shitout of your boots, yeah, they
(24:35):
still smell something.
And to be able to get in there,now I I don't know.
I mean, you've got your rubberboots, but you've also got your
rubber tires, yeah.
But but still to eliminate umpotentially any of my scent to
be on and be able to get inthere quick and quiet, to your
point, Mike, about you know,trying to get into anywhere and
(24:58):
be quiet.
I I think this is hopefullygonna be the answer.
So that is that is the hottestpart of the farm is the east
side, um, where three or fourshooters are coming by every
night.
Now, a lot of it is stillnocturnal, that's gonna change.
(25:19):
Yeah, I mean, the younger bucksare daylighting.
The the the one that I had theopportunity at on October 1st,
um, he was pretty regular, thelast hour of light.
But yeah, like I said, I made achoice.
Um, that that wasn't the buck II had an opportunity, that's all
I could ask for, but that wasn'tthe buck that I my heart was set
(25:43):
on to harvest, so we'll see whathappens.
Um but yeah, it's justdifferent.
It's crazy how on the east coastyou're you're seeing a lot of
the foliage turning and whatnotin the Midwest, where you know,
obviously we're west of you.
We uh we haven't seen squat yet.
SPEAKER_03 (26:02):
Yeah, yeah.
It it's yeah, it's it's and I'mI'm surprised because you guys
are mid, but you guys are alsohigher up too than everything
like that.
Um it just shows you to go, youknow, the the difference of of
everything like that, and youknow, um, which is gonna be a
really cool faceting year too.
It's awful having your guysbecause you know, we get we have
we have East Coast guys, youknow.
(26:23):
I mean me, Frank, you know,we're all Jersey, one New York,
and you know, with Zach, youknow, he's down in uh Virginia
and everything.
But now it's it's great gettingyou know the Midwest perspective
of things and seeing how thingsare are kind of unfolding over
there for you guys in Wisconsinand everything like that.
Um but yeah, I'm like I'm sosurprised that like that's what
(26:44):
because here it's like at leastin the west northwest of Jersey,
you know, up where where we are,like it's it's fall.
Like it's I don't I can't see,you know, there's nothing else I
can say.
Like it is it is pumpkin spicelattes, um flannel weather, it's
(27:07):
everything that you see inmovies and everything like that,
Halloween stuff, pumpkins out,like for us, like I I'm a huge
Halloween guy, so you know, meand fiance, so it's like it's
it's a great time for for usthere, but it's also hockey
season, football season, uh,baseball season.
Everything is now with hunting,everything is now going on.
(27:30):
Um and it's it's it's exciting.
And you know, hopefully we wehave uh things are just gonna
heat up.
You know, last year we we hadkilled so many, like I I don't
even know what it was like inthe early season.
I still think we got off to butlike I think now from basically
now till the end of November, itis going to be like a whole
(27:54):
different ball game for for allof us.
And hoping, hoping we can gettwo, three, maybe even four
bears down.
I would I'd be uh I'd be prettyhappy with with that if we can
if we can get that andeverything like that.
So we're we're looking forwardto it.
(28:15):
Um boys, uh any do you guys doyou guys get a chance to to hunt
bears or anything like that?
Or where you guys are from?
SPEAKER_01 (28:22):
Well let you I'll let you go first, Craig.
Well, trust me, my story ain'tgonna be fucking long because uh
so we're I'm in okay, so I wellI live in Green Bay.
Inlaws property is in Krakow,which would be Ocano County
Lake, just just about 10 minutesnorth of Pulaski.
(28:43):
And um last year, October 19th,I had uh a big black bear come
into my mock scrape and rip myrobe down and screw up my whole
mock's grave.
I wasn't really happy aboutthat.
But we do have bear around theproblem with well, like as
Connor knows, uh you know,Wisconsin has zones, right?
(29:04):
So we're in zone Connor.
If I'm uh we're we're south ofthe highway 22 is zone C,
correct?
SPEAKER_02 (29:14):
So I I'm considered uh South Farmland zone.
Okay, I mean down by me, uh justreal quick, if if there's any
bear that comes down south ofPortage, okay, which is about 30
minutes north of me, yeah.
That that's on the news.
SPEAKER_01 (29:33):
Like there are no bears.
I've heard okay, that makessense.
Okay, so then okay, so thenyeah, okay, so then we are zone
C.
So with zone C, when we put infor a tag, they say it's a one
to one to three years of a draw.
I mean, one year I put in for atag just for shits and giggles,
(29:54):
like I'm not gonna get fuckingselected.
I don't even have the fuckingbear bed on whatever.
And Boom, my name gets drawn.
I'm like, oh fuck, what do I donow?
Did I bear hunt?
No, I didn't.
I start struck right toWhitetail.
But now you get Wisconsin,highway 22 runs east to west.
You go above that, you got zoneB.
That's a 13-year wait.
(30:14):
I tell you right now, with thelifespan that us humans have,
you don't know if you're gonnawake up, you don't know what's
gonna happen on the highway.
I'm not waiting 13 years to drawa freaking bear tag when I'm a
resident.
So then when I got theopportunity from um from you
guys and Frank to come out thereand bear hunt, and then I heard
(30:37):
about what the price was for abear tag and what you get for
that tag.
I go, my wife looked at me, shegoes, Yeah, you're gonna drive
freaking that that many hours togo hunt beer because that's dirt
cheap, Craig.
How you'd be stupid not to goout there.
I'm like, You're gonna let medrive alone?
She goes, Absolutely not.
I go, then how am I getting outthere?
(31:00):
I go, no, I'm I won't care.
I got my boy Connor, I'm askingConnor.
And you know, the thing is too,is like that drive between two
people, that's nothing.
And then Frank gave us theawesome opportunity.
Uh, Connor, you and I willcollab, you know, and we'll talk
about stuff.
We got a year to think about it.
And you know, Frank goes, saveyour money on a hotel.
(31:22):
Cambo in the backyard.
See, that right there is loveand respect.
We got a campsite too.
SPEAKER_03 (31:29):
Okay, there you go.
The boys, the boys, we we camp.
So we're gonna be at camp.
But next year, we're gonna bethere for a week.
I mean, I love Frank, don't getme wrong.
That's that's my I I love Franklove days off, right?
Um, but yeah, me, Peyton, Zach,like we're all gonna be up at
camp.
We've this will be our secondyear doing it.
Well, then I mean I did again.
SPEAKER_01 (31:48):
I but I I'll pay, I'll pay for the campsite.
It's not well then I thendinner's on me the first night,
then, because we I want to trulyexperience this, and especially
for me and Connor having theopportunity to be on this team
to come out and meet you guyshand in hand.
Like, let's do this, let's makethis remember.
I can give two shits less if Ishoot a bear, if I see a bear.
(32:11):
Granted, you guys have a lotmore your bear out there like
white tails in our field.
You know, I've heard about that.
And yeah, I'm just I'm just Ithink I'm just more jacked up
for to for one, even though,yeah, Connor, you live in
Wisconsin, I never met the guyin person.
We're Cubs fans, we're gonnacollaborate real well.
So the drive over there is gonnabe awesome.
(32:32):
Like, I'm excited to meet Connorone-on-one, to go out there and
just share stories, memories,meet you guys.
Like, to me, if I don't get abear, I can get two shits less.
That take is dirt cheap.
For our team to get a bear tagor uh get a bear on the ground
with the bowl, whatever, thecamera's gonna be coming out,
the celebration is gonna happen.
Like, I'm I'm that's what I'mmore stoked about is more of the
(32:56):
of the team success than just anindividual success, you know
what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_03 (33:02):
So yeah, and that that's that's what we said too.
Like, I'm just going just goingthrough like this season right
now, like every bear that weget, it's like Peyton's killed
two the last two years in thesame like, but it's a team, like
a team effort.
He gives us all the money,everything like that.
It's like it it's just so muchfun, you know.
This year, obviously, all wewant all the guys to get it, but
(33:25):
even if one guy or two, like iftwo guys get it, like that's a
big successful like week for usfor six days of of hunting.
Um but it's and and then alsojust uh uh another thing, yeah.
It's the the bears too.
If you buy a deer tag, you canhunt deer and bear at the same,
(33:47):
and that's exactly obviouslybecause we live here, but that's
what we do too.
Like we you can kill everything,a doe, a bear, a buck.
Um, I think it's I don't knowwhat the price is for for deer
tag for for you guys andeverything like that.
I don't I think maybe 75 at themost um for for out of state.
(34:10):
I I think I don't think it's Idon't think it's crazy um to get
your your your tag.
I'll see you guys.
And that tag is tech that thattag is technically good.
You're what's all all yearbasically.
So okay, so when you oh sorry,oh no, keep going, keep going.
SPEAKER_02 (34:28):
No, I was just gonna say everything is so as Craig
knows is so heavily regulatedhunting-wise here in Wisconsin.
Oh god, I mean you like Mike,you cannot um you you basically
buy a preference point a yearfor for bear.
SPEAKER_03 (34:46):
So, like for like what they do in in Iowa or like
Kansas or exactly correct, yes,correct.
Which I would guess.
SPEAKER_02 (34:53):
This is the thing that is so ridiculous about it.
You have to get eight preferencepoints in the state of Wisconsin
before you're even considered todraw a tag in the state of
Wisconsin as a goddamn resident,and that's no, and Connor, and
that's what's crazy to it.
SPEAKER_01 (35:13):
Like, like you said, so you look at zone B in
Wisconsin, they say the average,so like like Connor said, you
got eight preference points.
So now every year, what is it,Connor?
Like five bucks to put in for atag, you know, and if you get
one, it's like fifty dollars orwhatever it is.
So you look at this, so you youput in a preference point, you
(35:33):
get a preference point for eightyears.
Now you're like Connor said,you're only considered.
I had a I this is crazy becauselike my my wife's and uncle live
up in Goodman, Wisconsin, zoneB, full of bears.
She's putting in a tag, and itcame to eight year eight, like
Connor said.
(35:53):
Okay, now you're considered 14years, and she finally got
drawn, and you know, and Godbless her, and I'm proud of her.
She shot her first bear everwith her archery combo the
second night.
But 14 years as like Connorsaid, as a resident, get the get
(36:13):
out of here.
Like, I'm not gonna sit here andpay.
Like, yeah, I guess I just Ihave my own thoughts and my own,
like I guess I voice my opinionso much, but you know, as being
a Wisconsin resident, paying thetaxes, like any state, anybody,
anywhere, for us residents towait 14 years to go shoot a
bear, get out of here.
(36:35):
Like that that is to me, it'ssimply just ridiculous.
SPEAKER_02 (36:38):
Yeah, that that that's just why I I gave up.
Um, you know, because theyexpire after certain amount of
it.
Same here.
I don't do it no more either.
I I don't do it.
And and with with my daughtersand sports and whatever, it's
like I'm sorry, I'm I'm just youknow, I'm a I'm a white-tailed
junkie by heart.
(37:00):
Um, and you know, the being ableto hunt bare and all, I mean,
that sounds phenomenal out inJersey.
How you guys can you guys areblessed to be able to do that.
SPEAKER_03 (37:11):
Yeah, I mean, and our state's crazy when it comes
to like the anti-hunters, andyeah, well, it sounds like a
blessing that we yeah, we have ablessing compared to compared to
you guys.
SPEAKER_02 (37:23):
Well, I mean, here in Wisconsin, like, yeah, like
it is a massive typically onaverage in Wisconsin, you know,
it's gone down over the years,but I would say that typically
there's between 250 and 270,000people that um get a tag for bow
(37:44):
hunting every year, and then forgun season, it's anywhere
between 600 to 700,000 peoplethat get uh gun gun wheat tags.
Um but it yeah, it it's it's Idon't know.
The the way the way that and theother thing is is I mean,
(38:05):
obviously we've got some megagiants here in the state of
Wisconsin.
Oh, yeah, we do all areadependent in terms of
agriculture and etc.
But the DNR also I think heavilyinflates the deer population um
as to what it really is, but Idon't know.
(38:25):
I mean, I I wish what you guyshave out there in Jersey and
just the east coast in general.
I I wish we had those thoseadditional opportunities because
yeah, having to wait eight yearsfor a tag as a resident is just
yeah, that's wild.
SPEAKER_01 (38:40):
It's absurd, it's it's absolutely absurd.
SPEAKER_02 (38:44):
And we we also have a massive, massive bear
population in the state ofWisconsin.
There's no shortage of bears.
No, there's no shortage.
SPEAKER_03 (38:55):
That's insane.
SPEAKER_01 (38:56):
It's it's and I think that's what it comes down
to, like kind of saying, like,you know, for us to have to wait
as a resident eight years for azone Bono 22 or whatever, it it
makes the love for hunting otherthan other other than white
tails.
Like, I lost love for it here inWisconsin.
I'm strictly and it comes tospring, it's turkeys, fall,
(39:20):
white tail, winter, I'm chasingflags and having fun.
I lost all the love for anythingelse, you know.
Like, I mean, every year I buymy small game tape because if I
see a young and I'm sorry, goodnight, you're gone, you're done.
Yeah, and now you know, I nowlike my cell cameras have been
going off like crazy on myphone, so I'm kind of curious
what's on there, but likeraccoons, my good god.
(39:40):
I I tell you what, I I I jokearound my my mother-in-law,
Carrie, I go, I don't know whatyou guys have in this water or
what you have out here, but whatare you feeding these things?
Because I had a coon come on umthe other night.
I couldn't even see its freakinglegs, like that thing, it was so
bulging fat.
And I don't know, no.
(40:02):
Shh, yeah, I already saw it,dude.
Damn it.
I fucking hate Vaughn.
Vaughn is kissing my ass.
Um, like I already touched mytaxidermist asking him, like,
hey, how much is it for um afull-mount record?
And he goes, dude, I've knownyou forever, dude.
I know you since you were achild.
And he goes, go kill one, we'llwork out a deal.
(40:22):
I'm like, okay, I'm gonna get mysmall game take because I'm
gonna drill a raccoon with mybolt, and I want to get a full
body moat because these things II can't put it into words how
fat these things are, and it'sjust it's stupid.
Like, I it's it's just dumb.
And they're everywhere, they'rejust everywhere.
SPEAKER_03 (40:39):
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, I bel I believe that, but boys.
I mean, I I think we'll I thinkwe'll end it here.
Um we will be back after bearseason.
Everyone in in New Jerseyheading out for the Bear Woods.
Good luck.
We are looking forward toeverything.
I hope everyone out there, youknow, has a very successful
(41:01):
time, uh, has fun and stay safe.
So boys out in Wisconsin, wehope for uh some better weather
for you guys, maybe get thatthat real fall weather, maybe
some some rain and everythinglike that for you guys.
Yeah.
Um and you know, hope thingsreally start kicking up for you
guys in in the next probably inthe next probably week.
I I I definitely would hope.
(41:22):
So it's gonna kick up.
SPEAKER_02 (41:25):
I'm hoping to be able to provide some good
content on a big Ohio buck.
So in the next one.
SPEAKER_03 (41:30):
There you go, girl.
Yes, enjoy, enjoy Ohio.
We will get the whole updatewhen when you get back.
We're looking forward to it.
Good luck.
Craig, we'll we'll see you guysnext week.
And uh boys, take care, fellas.
Yeah.
Yeah, the last trip over, I shot a great cake off
whooping the bow charging.
SPEAKER_03 (00:36):
And then the whooping.
And then you hear all right,boys.
We are back.
Field notes number five.
It's been a couple of weekssince we've all been on.
It has been crazy to alreadystart the year.
Um, I don't know.
It feels like this year wasdifferent.
Like, usually, and you guys are,you know, being new and
everything like that to theteam, like usually we're on it.
(00:59):
But I feel like after right now,we're leaving the woods.
Everyone gets home so late.
Everyone has different things todo.
A lot of the guys there, youknow, Connor, Zach, you know,
they Frank, all you guys, um,Craig, you guys all have kids,
family, stuff that you need todo.
By the time I get home, it'sit's super late already.
But we're slowly getting intothat time now where this sunset
(01:20):
is going at.
I think we're at 6.25 here inNew Jersey today.
It's gonna keep going down.
So this will be a lot easiermoving forward to to get on and
everything like that.
But boys, how's how's it been?
Uh I enjoying every minute ofit.
SPEAKER_02 (01:36):
Yeah, yeah, it it's been good.
It's been uh, you know, rightnow, like you know, they call
that, you know, like jury boyssay this is kind of starting the
October lol, but man, I I don'tknow I don't believe in that one
bit.
No, I I I I think I think it'sall property base, where you are
(01:57):
in the country, yeah, uh thedeer on the property, the the
whole setup.
Um, so yeah, I I'm not a hugebeliever in that no um as well.
But um what I have noticed justrecently, I mean, I I like I
said in the last podcast, like Icould have tagged out on October
(02:17):
1st, but Mike, if you rememberthat buck, I mean it was a nice
buck, um decent, pretty goodsize body, but he short-timed
wide a-pointer, that it justwasn't the guy I was going for.
Um, the the two that I am havebeen showing up uh consistently,
but they're two and a half hoursafter shooting light, a lot of
(02:41):
nocturnal blah blah blah, butthat's obviously gonna change.
Oh, it's gonna change like that.
Yeah, the the the one thingthat's been and I don't know how
it's been there out on the eastcoast, Mike, but it's obviously
been probably been very similarfor Craig and I.
But what I have noticed thisyear early season, and it's been
(03:02):
really frustrating, as we knowthe number one defense mechanism
of a whitetail is their nose.
Okay, and every it's been reallywarm, really dry.
Yeah, but we have been at leastin my situation on my friend's
(03:23):
farm in south central Wisconsin.
I mean, normally it's the last35 to 40 minutes, you know, that
sun, the sun sets, and thenwhatever the wind is, it dies
down.
Yeah, sometimes there's still alittle bit of wind, other times
it's completely still, and weknow when it becomes completely
(03:44):
still, that is not good from awhitetails perspective.
When they cannot be able toscent check, blah blah blah.
But I what I've been noticing,it's been really strange for
over the past two weeks.
I'm talking five o'clock centralstandard time, the winds have
died, and we've had a lot ofsouth winds, southeast winds.
SPEAKER_01 (04:09):
We had a lot of southeast, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (04:11):
Yeah, and it's been bizarre.
I mean, the the times I've beenon stand, it's the last hour and
a half of shooting light.
There's no wind.
And I'm like, this is not good.
Yep, so that that this has beenum a very different early season
for me in terms of playing thewind and everything.
(04:35):
So yeah, it's awesome to be inthe stand, but it it it's been a
struggle so far.
SPEAKER_01 (04:41):
No, and I I can relate it like that because I
even like like last nightsitting that river bottom stand,
I had a southwest wind, whichthat stand is good for.
Um it was 17 mile per hourwinds, and also like like Connor
was saying, 530, 535 hits, it'salmost like if I spit, I'm gonna
echo the freaking woods.
And I I personally hate, youknow, I have a lot of friends
(05:05):
here at bow honey on the I lovecoming when you know I don't
want to go wind because I can Ican hear the deer.
But do you understand?
They can also hear you if you'rechewing gum or if you're doing
something, they're gonna hearthat.
I want the wind.
I want the wind.
I'm not saying I want a 30, 40mile per lens, but like when I
had last yesterday at 4 o'clock,17 milepark lens, I loved it.
(05:28):
I loved it.
I loved every second of it.
And that wind died down, I feltlike now, oh, you gotta be a
mummy.
Use your numbers.
You move one bit.
I mean, everyone, I don't know.
I I guess I've had encounterswith it.
I've had problems with it, likewhere the wind dies down, you
think you're like this moving,blah, blah, blah.
(05:50):
You think you can hear the deerwalking through the woods.
I tell you what, yeah, you can'talways hear them when that
wind's calm as hell because I'vebeen picked out more than I
should have been.
And those deer 30 yards behindme, I never knew they were
there.
You think, well, there's nowind, I should be able to.
I knew they were coming in.
SPEAKER_02 (06:08):
No, that's that's no, and as you all 98% of the
time, it's all freakingsquirrels, you know, they're
they're getting those acorns andthey're taking them up to their
deal for the winter.
Um yeah, the the whole windthing, like people saying, like,
you know, they don't want theythey want less wind or whatever,
(06:30):
and then there was the the youhear a lot about oh, when
there's 20, 30 mile an hourwinds, the deer don't move.
Bullshit, they do they dothey're they're gonna do the
same thing that they do everyyear during the rut.
Um, I that's been something thatI have been uh frustrated with,
(06:50):
you know, early on the season.
I want that wind, I want them tobe able to get up and move.
And hopefully, as a as a bowhunter, common sense, we've made
the right choice to sit in thestand that's gonna be most
favorable to us with that windin our face.
Yeah, and you know, obviouslythere's always marginal winds
(07:13):
where we can maybe get away withsome stuff, but yeah, it's been
it's been really strange so far,Mike.
So hopeful, hopefully that'sgonna change here pretty quick.
SPEAKER_01 (07:21):
And it's funny that to relate on that comment about
like the high winds and deerdon't move in highs.
That's false because like theproperty that I hunt in
Chronicle, we got so my I don'thave like the 40, 80, or 120
acre woods.
I it's it's a travel core.
And everyone says, Oh, I don'tknow how you're gonna hunt that
travel corner so much, you canmust get frustrated on seeing
money deer.
(07:42):
See, that's to me that's falsebecause I'm personally hunting
in it.
I love a travel corner becausewhen it comes to running, I want
to be in a travel court.
I want to be in the freakingwoods, sitting on the river or
on the edge of the pig cornerfield.
Like I want to be there.
And I my property alone, like Ican relate to this because I've
seen it.
I went as it, you know, not thisyear yet, because we haven't had
(08:04):
really I haven't hunted in like25, 30 mile per hour winds, but
like going back to like springturkey, they always say if you
got high winds, turkeys want tobe in the open so they can be
alert and for their predators orwhatever.
I've noticed it where like ifit's really, really high winds
and I'm in a field, I'm seeing ashitload of deer in that field.
(08:26):
So I it might just be me, Idon't know, but I look at it
very, very high winds, and Iwant to get to a field if it's
the right wind for a high wind,but I know I'm gonna see deer,
and I have seen deer.
Like I they're they're out therebecause they're they feel more
comfortable, they feel to me, Ifeel like they feel more safe
out there because they can'thear, but now they got their
(08:48):
eyesight.
SPEAKER_02 (08:49):
Yeah, well, and and in my opinion, I think a number
one indicator for deer to startmoving out of the woods edge in
the evening or the morning.
If they see a flock of turkeysout there, because you know,
turkeys can pick you off from300 yards, you move a half an
(09:09):
inch and you're pinned andyou're done.
They're using them as security.
That's what they're doing,they're using them as security.
The deer know that if they see aflock of turkeys out there, then
they I think they feel morecomfortable.
Okay, it's all right to startmoving out and feeding.
SPEAKER_03 (09:24):
So we'll see.
All right, all right, I'll agreewith you on that.
And you know, I will say,especially yet again, we were
out September.
That was happening the firstcouple of weeks of the season
for us, where all of a suddenthe wind would just die down and
be nothing.
Um, it was really weird.
Now that we're getting into thefall for us, like a lot of the
(09:45):
leaves have fully changed, likeit is like we're in full, we're
finally in that full fallweather, and also it has gotten
we the other day was 33 degrees.
Um the last the last couple dayshas been like the woods have
just changed.
(10:06):
So, as everyone knows, you know,or if you don't know, our bear
season starts Monday.
Um, so we you know, we werewe're out scouting last week,
and how we kind of do it isbecause here in New Jersey, you
can't hunt on over bait, and youhave to be a hundred yards away.
(10:26):
Oh so what we do is we go outand kind of hunt them like deer,
and we go out and find thefreshest sign.
So we try to find cornfields,acorn like where where are they
going to be?
Everything that we do, swamps.
You know, they're gonna be in aswamp, you know what I mean?
You know, like you know, we findstanding corn, boom, we're
always finding bear sign andeverything like that.
(10:48):
And that's kind of how we we wedo it.
Uh next year, when you guyscome, um we have already
decided, and even for us too inthe future, to start, we're
gonna put, I think, at least twobear sites out.
Um, because sometimes huntingthat style of deer, just like
any other animal, sometimesthey're just not there.
(11:10):
Like they're around in the area,but they're just not I we want
them coming in as much,especially on a cornfield or or
something like that.
Like it just will help and makethings uh just a little easier.
Um, but not much sign last yearuh or last week, not not much
sign, not much deer sign, likethere were some scrapes, you
know, your stuff like that, notmuch bear sign.
(11:32):
Like we found like one or twogood spots.
And this week we were out today,and the difference of the woods,
first of all, everything'syellow, orange, everything like
that.
You got that beautiful fallfoliage coming coming in, and
then rub, scrape, bear poop,bear print.
(11:54):
We found a monster track.
Um and then we found a nicescratch tree where a bear just
went up and we don't even thinkwasn't even standing up, just
reached his arm up and just andjust scratched.
Um, so the woods are they'rethey're coming alive.
I had a spike mouth open,breathing all heavy, chasing,
(12:15):
chasing those around andeverything like that.
Yeah, I I you guys saw that andeverything like that.
Uh like a freshman in college,baby, just trying to find that
fresh tail.
And that's the thing, like it'sit's that's exactly what it is.
It is a hundred percent.
Giants just haven't just haven'tstarted coming out yet.
And you know, something I love,and ever since I I I said this
(12:36):
on a podcast a couple years ago.
The rut is like a bunch ofcollege kids going out to a bar,
they're doing a bunch of fuckingcocaine, yeah, they're doing a
bunch of Red Bull and vodka, andthey're literally just trying to
get laid or or or fight, andthat's literally what it is.
It's a bunch of crackheads justrunning around.
(12:56):
It is.
Um and right now, like likeCraig said, we got the
freshmans, the the youngins areare getting a little horny
before you know the the maintime, but man, it's I'm so
excited.
Like, I can't wait.
Like this, yeah, and it seemslike we're actually gonna get
real fall weather, we're gonnaget real winter this year, and
(13:18):
everything like that.
Something that we've beenmissing for a couple years.
I've heard you know the rumorsof the rut is going to be more
like a a normal rut.
I agree, and things like that.
And you already saw I I thinkI'm yeah, I'm already starting
to see things, especiallycompared to last year.
We had that drought.
I don't know about you guys, butI imagine you guys had the
(13:40):
drought too last year andeverything like that.
And the woods were just verydifferent last year.
Like, I I didn't wasn't seeingas many scrapes, rubs, and now
this year it's like completelydifferent.
SPEAKER_02 (13:54):
I think, and I don't know how it was up in uh Craig's
area in Green Bay, but uh I onthe podcast last week, Mike.
I I think the the drought, atleast in south central
Wisconsin, has been worse here.
I mean, to your point, usuallyobviously Midwest.
You guys see all of our weathertwo days later, whatever.
(14:16):
We have not when I was sittingon stand last night, and I you
know, I sat to, and I'vementioned before off our um
friend's farm, there's 3,000acres of the Cherokee Marsh, and
there are absolute likeworld-class deer in there, but
(14:37):
when you got that much acreage,obviously they've got a lot of
places to hide to where theydon't need to come through the
woods.
But point being, when I wassitting on stand, I was just
kind of enjoying sitting there,taking everything in, and the
leaves.
I mean, to hear you Mike saythat you're already getting that
color.
(14:57):
I mean, here we are Saturday,October 11th, and the maples,
which usually the autumn blazeones, you know, they start from
the top, getting their you know,beautiful red color.
We're I mean, we have a littlebit of it, but in the woods on
my friend's farm.
Now, again, I sat to uh publicstand off to the west of his
(15:21):
property last night.
There's literally zero color.
Yeah, it's been so dry.
Yeah, we have hot.
Yeah, yeah, the leaves are justfalling.
There's just no color.
SPEAKER_01 (15:34):
I have nothing in green uh in Croggo.
It's it's it's all green.
Yeah, it's all green.
SPEAKER_02 (15:39):
I don't I don't know how that's I mean, the the deer
are gonna whitetails are gonnado their same thing every year.
Yeah, it's it's just gonna beinteresting.
SPEAKER_03 (15:48):
Well, you gotta you gotta remember, and this is a
big especially when it comes toscrapes, and this is something I
and I think we talked about thison a earlier show too.
Last year, I know there's nomoisture in the ground, and they
need that for what when they'remaking scrapes.
They share, I mean, you couldsee like for for us on the east
coast and here in Jersey, likewe have that.
(16:09):
Like, I you know, I went to makea mock scrape and made a mock
scrape, and you could just seethe it's actual like dirt, like
you could smell the moisture,you could smell that real dirt,
it's not real dry, like and itwill hold the urine and
everything like that.
SPEAKER_01 (16:24):
Um, it's funny that you say that, but because um
yesterday I um well yeah,yesterday for my hunt, I went by
my ground line and I went andI'm not gonna lie, I pissed in
my ground line, and then umcoming back, coming back out, I
took my flashlight on the groundon the scrape, drier than dry.
(16:46):
Now, it's funny because likewhen I made that mask scrape by
that ground line, when I put itup like a week ago, I was you
know, just you know, kicking thedust up when I was kicking the
dirt up.
It was literally just just dust.
There was no moisture, it wasjust all just it was just dry.
And then I found that my post Imade today.
(17:06):
I found it's like where myground line is about 25 yards
up, a buck made a scrape andjust rubbed the hell out of that
tree, which I posted onInstagram.
It's drier than dry.
Like it's there's no moisture atall where I am right now.
Yeah, I mean zero here.
Yeah, I mean, I'm I'm we'reliterally wrapped around the
Pasaki River and they call it ariver, not a crick.
(17:29):
Well, if I wanted to right now,I can put my crocks on, walk
across that river, across therocks in the backyard, and I got
my feet wet.
That's how low that water isright now.
It's yeah, it's a game.
It's pretty bad.
SPEAKER_03 (17:42):
Yeah, it's uh we we got right now a northeastern
hitting us for the next coupledays.
Um, I think it rained.
Rained the other day.
Um and now it's it's gonna rainfor the next three days uh hard.
Um and it's yeah, I mean, afterwith bear and everything like
(18:04):
that, Monday we'll we'll seewhat we're what we're gonna get
Monday and everything like that.
But Tuesday, that firstrainfall, anybody listening,
whether you're hunting deer,bear, whatever, the minute it
starts slowing down or lets up,you got to get to the woods.
They're gonna be on their feetimmediately.
(18:27):
Um, and that's exactly like we,you know, we're hoping that
Monday, it's not a completewashout.
We're hoping we can get out.
It's if it's a light rain, we'regonna be out there.
Um, you know, if it's atorrential downpour, obviously
we're not it's not even worthit.
And but Tuesday, we're reallylike our eyes are really set for
Tuesday.
(18:47):
It's like, all right, and Ithink you'll see a lot of bears
or and deer get killed afterthis this storm, and it's
supposed to be nice and cool.
Um, so deer should definitelyanimals should be moving.
SPEAKER_02 (19:03):
Yeah, that's why I think those uh I bought one last
year.
Um Muddy makes one.
I think a bunch of companies,but those, you know, the same
thing as like your um the bowhanger, you know, a lot of the
companies make this the screw inuh for the umbrella.
Oh dynamite, yeah.
You know, especially to yourpoint, Mike, if it's not a
(19:25):
driving rain, if it's somethingthat's just showers, they're
they're still gonna get up tomove and feed and and whatnot.
Um, so yeah, that that'ssomething I've always got in my
pack, especially for earlyseason.
That's smart.
SPEAKER_03 (19:40):
I mean, I I've I've had one.
Um I I'm such a mobile, I moveso much, and the problem, like I
I need a cut down on stuff thatI have.
Yeah, right.
But it's a smart thing to have,like to keep, and I'm probably
gonna get one to keep in thetruck for days, kind of like
that.
(20:00):
Um, that would be like somethingthat's necessary.
Like, obviously, you got I gotthe rain gear, everyone get has
the rain gear and everythinglike that.
But especially with camera, youknow, when we're talking camera
equipment and everything likethat, like then like being dry
actually becomes like a prettyserious like thing for me
because now we're we're dealingwith expensive equipment of you
(20:22):
know, and I'm not gonna be ableto just replace that just like
like that.
Right, right.
Um, and then also boys, Ifinally, and everyone, you know,
usually I find a bunch of goodbucks, and this year I wasn't
finding really any.
I I found like maybe one, butno, like, oh my god, giant, like
(20:44):
none that I was like, yes, likethat's the deer I'm chasing.
And this week I have found notone, but two, and just one of
them is just an absolute jersey,just stud.
And I have slowly but surely,piece by piece, finding exactly
(21:07):
the area that he beds in.
And when I first saw him uhearlier in the week or last
week, he hit my camera at ninesomething.
And there's three spots where Ithought he was bedded, and I was
like, all right, I'm gonna goacross the river, and I think
he's I think he's over there.
(21:27):
Let me go, I go across theriver, just deer sign just
everywhere, just tracks.
It's not, it's kind of like whatwhat you're talking about, it's
a travel quarter.
They're not I don't thinkthey're they're betting in
there, but they're cruising it.
And during the rut, it isthere's a creek, there's there's
a creek bottom.
They are going to be cruising,yeah.
And it leads from one beanfield, and if he goes into
(21:50):
across the river, it goes toanother bean field.
Um, and I think he's somewherebetween where I put my second
camera and one of the beanfields.
And the cool thing is, too,without giving too much away,
you know, he can't go forward,he has to go left to right.
(22:11):
Right?
You can't like it's it's itfunnels per like he just can't
do it.
Right?
Not no human can do it, noanimal can do it unless you can
fly.
Um, and I am going to go theopposite side after Bear Week
and put another camera where Ithink he is, and put the piece
of the puzzle.
I need a north, northeast wind,and I could probably get in
(22:34):
there with a northwest wind.
Hunting morning, I've already,unless like I buy myself a
little canoe or kayak orsomething, yeah, is is kind of a
no-go.
It'd be way too loud for me tocross that river walking.
Um but it's gonna have to beevening hunting, and that might
be something a hunt where ithits 10 a.m.
(22:54):
and I just walk right in andhave lunch, everything is gonna
be in my pack.
I get out there at 10 a.m.
and I don't leave until I killthem or until I run out of time.
Yeah, so I obsolete.
SPEAKER_02 (23:09):
Yeah, I mean, I mean, for those uh situations, I
uh like Squatch said, I save thepennies, it was just delivered
on uh Wednesday.
I got my first e-bike, so I amso frigging pumped about that.
I got the baskets for it andeverything, and the you know,
the the braces that you'd put ona four-wheeler to hold a rifle
(23:33):
or whatever, but you know, theycan hold a bow.
And as I've as I've said beforeon the show, um my my buddy's
property, uh it's it's extremelydifficult to ask access any
stand without you know lettingthem know you're there.
And I I really feel the the fareast side of the farm is the
(23:54):
number one stand where I've gotyou know Gerard's uh the the
pre-orbital, and they arehammering.
I've got love pre-orbital, lovepre-orbital, seven different
bucks hammering that everysingle night, working the
scrape, um hitting you know thelicking branch or whatever.
(24:15):
And I I really feel like that isgonna be the key.
Uh, the I don't know when thecorn's gonna come down with how
dry it is this year, but yeah, Ibetween the woods edge and the
corn, I should still be able toget in there, and just to not
even if you spray down the shitout of your boots, yeah, they
(24:35):
still smell something.
And to be able to get in there,now I I don't know.
I mean, you've got your rubberboots, but you've also got your
rubber tires, yeah.
But but still to eliminate umpotentially any of my scent to
be on and be able to get inthere quick and quiet, to your
point, Mike, about you know,trying to get into anywhere and
(24:58):
be quiet.
I I think this is hopefullygonna be the answer.
So that is that is the hottestpart of the farm is the east
side, um, where three or fourshooters are coming by every
night.
Now, a lot of it is stillnocturnal, that's gonna change.
(25:19):
Yeah, I mean, the younger bucksare daylighting.
The the the one that I had theopportunity at on October 1st,
um, he was pretty regular, thelast hour of light.
But yeah, like I said, I made achoice.
Um, that that wasn't the buck II had an opportunity, that's all
I could ask for, but that wasn'tthe buck that I my heart was set
(25:43):
on to harvest, so we'll see whathappens.
Um but yeah, it's justdifferent.
It's crazy how on the east coastyou're you're seeing a lot of
the foliage turning and whatnotin the Midwest, where you know,
obviously we're west of you.
We uh we haven't seen squat yet.
SPEAKER_03 (26:02):
Yeah, yeah.
It it's yeah, it's it's and I'mI'm surprised because you guys
are mid, but you guys are alsohigher up too than everything
like that.
Um it just shows you to go, youknow, the the difference of of
everything like that, and youknow, um, which is gonna be a
really cool faceting year too.
It's awful having your guysbecause you know, we get we have
we have East Coast guys, youknow.
(26:23):
I mean me, Frank, you know,we're all Jersey, one New York,
and you know, with Zach, youknow, he's down in uh Virginia
and everything.
But now it's it's great gettingyou know the Midwest perspective
of things and seeing how thingsare are kind of unfolding over
there for you guys in Wisconsinand everything like that.
Um but yeah, I'm like I'm sosurprised that like that's what
(26:44):
because here it's like at leastin the west northwest of Jersey,
you know, up where where we are,like it's it's fall.
Like it's I don't I can't see,you know, there's nothing else I
can say.
Like it is it is pumpkin spicelattes, um flannel weather, it's
(27:07):
everything that you see inmovies and everything like that,
Halloween stuff, pumpkins out,like for us, like I I'm a huge
Halloween guy, so you know, meand fiance, so it's like it's
it's a great time for for usthere, but it's also hockey
season, football season, uh,baseball season.
Everything is now with hunting,everything is now going on.
(27:30):
Um and it's it's it's exciting.
And you know, hopefully we wehave uh things are just gonna
heat up.
You know, last year we we hadkilled so many, like I I don't
even know what it was like inthe early season.
I still think we got off to butlike I think now from basically
now till the end of November, itis going to be like a whole
(27:54):
different ball game for for allof us.
And hoping, hoping we can gettwo, three, maybe even four
bears down.
I would I'd be uh I'd be prettyhappy with with that if we can
if we can get that andeverything like that.
So we're we're looking forwardto it.
(28:15):
Um boys, uh any do you guys doyou guys get a chance to to hunt
bears or anything like that?
Or where you guys are from?
SPEAKER_01 (28:22):
Well let you I'll let you go first, Craig.
Well, trust me, my story ain'tgonna be fucking long because uh
so we're I'm in okay, so I wellI live in Green Bay.
Inlaws property is in Krakow,which would be Ocano County
Lake, just just about 10 minutesnorth of Pulaski.
(28:43):
And um last year, October 19th,I had uh a big black bear come
into my mock scrape and rip myrobe down and screw up my whole
mock's grave.
I wasn't really happy aboutthat.
But we do have bear around theproblem with well, like as
Connor knows, uh you know,Wisconsin has zones, right?
(29:04):
So we're in zone Connor.
If I'm uh we're we're south ofthe highway 22 is zone C,
correct?
SPEAKER_02 (29:14):
So I I'm considered uh South Farmland zone.
Okay, I mean down by me, uh justreal quick, if if there's any
bear that comes down south ofPortage, okay, which is about 30
minutes north of me, yeah.
That that's on the news.
SPEAKER_01 (29:33):
Like there are no bears.
I've heard okay, that makessense.
Okay, so then okay, so thenyeah, okay, so then we are zone
C.
So with zone C, when we put infor a tag, they say it's a one
to one to three years of a draw.
I mean, one year I put in for atag just for shits and giggles,
(29:54):
like I'm not gonna get fuckingselected.
I don't even have the fuckingbear bed on whatever.
And Boom, my name gets drawn.
I'm like, oh fuck, what do I donow?
Did I bear hunt?
No, I didn't.
I start struck right toWhitetail.
But now you get Wisconsin,highway 22 runs east to west.
You go above that, you got zoneB.
That's a 13-year wait.
(30:14):
I tell you right now, with thelifespan that us humans have,
you don't know if you're gonnawake up, you don't know what's
gonna happen on the highway.
I'm not waiting 13 years to drawa freaking bear tag when I'm a
resident.
So then when I got theopportunity from um from you
guys and Frank to come out thereand bear hunt, and then I heard
(30:37):
about what the price was for abear tag and what you get for
that tag.
I go, my wife looked at me, shegoes, Yeah, you're gonna drive
freaking that that many hours togo hunt beer because that's dirt
cheap, Craig.
How you'd be stupid not to goout there.
I'm like, You're gonna let medrive alone?
She goes, Absolutely not.
I go, then how am I getting outthere?
(31:00):
I go, no, I'm I won't care.
I got my boy Connor, I'm askingConnor.
And you know, the thing is too,is like that drive between two
people, that's nothing.
And then Frank gave us theawesome opportunity.
Uh, Connor, you and I willcollab, you know, and we'll talk
about stuff.
We got a year to think about it.
And you know, Frank goes, saveyour money on a hotel.
(31:22):
Cambo in the backyard.
See, that right there is loveand respect.
We got a campsite too.
SPEAKER_03 (31:29):
Okay, there you go.
The boys, the boys, we we camp.
So we're gonna be at camp.
But next year, we're gonna bethere for a week.
I mean, I love Frank, don't getme wrong.
That's that's my I I love Franklove days off, right?
Um, but yeah, me, Peyton, Zach,like we're all gonna be up at
camp.
We've this will be our secondyear doing it.
Well, then I mean I did again.
SPEAKER_01 (31:48):
I but I I'll pay, I'll pay for the campsite.
It's not well then I thendinner's on me the first night,
then, because we I want to trulyexperience this, and especially
for me and Connor having theopportunity to be on this team
to come out and meet you guyshand in hand.
Like, let's do this, let's makethis remember.
I can give two shits less if Ishoot a bear, if I see a bear.
(32:11):
Granted, you guys have a lotmore your bear out there like
white tails in our field.
You know, I've heard about that.
And yeah, I'm just I'm just Ithink I'm just more jacked up
for to for one, even though,yeah, Connor, you live in
Wisconsin, I never met the guyin person.
We're Cubs fans, we're gonnacollaborate real well.
So the drive over there is gonnabe awesome.
(32:32):
Like, I'm excited to meet Connorone-on-one, to go out there and
just share stories, memories,meet you guys.
Like, to me, if I don't get abear, I can get two shits less.
That take is dirt cheap.
For our team to get a bear tagor uh get a bear on the ground
with the bowl, whatever, thecamera's gonna be coming out,
the celebration is gonna happen.
Like, I'm I'm that's what I'mmore stoked about is more of the
(32:56):
of the team success than just anindividual success, you know
what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_03 (33:02):
So yeah, and that that's that's what we said too.
Like, I'm just going just goingthrough like this season right
now, like every bear that weget, it's like Peyton's killed
two the last two years in thesame like, but it's a team, like
a team effort.
He gives us all the money,everything like that.
It's like it it's just so muchfun, you know.
This year, obviously, all wewant all the guys to get it, but
(33:25):
even if one guy or two, like iftwo guys get it, like that's a
big successful like week for usfor six days of of hunting.
Um but it's and and then alsojust uh uh another thing, yeah.
It's the the bears too.
If you buy a deer tag, you canhunt deer and bear at the same,
(33:47):
and that's exactly obviouslybecause we live here, but that's
what we do too.
Like we you can kill everything,a doe, a bear, a buck.
Um, I think it's I don't knowwhat the price is for for deer
tag for for you guys andeverything like that.
I don't I think maybe 75 at themost um for for out of state.
(34:10):
I I think I don't think it's Idon't think it's crazy um to get
your your your tag.
I'll see you guys.
And that tag is tech that thattag is technically good.
You're what's all all yearbasically.
So okay, so when you oh sorry,oh no, keep going, keep going.
SPEAKER_02 (34:28):
No, I was just gonna say everything is so as Craig
knows is so heavily regulatedhunting-wise here in Wisconsin.
Oh god, I mean you like Mike,you cannot um you you basically
buy a preference point a yearfor for bear.
SPEAKER_03 (34:46):
So, like for like what they do in in Iowa or like
Kansas or exactly correct, yes,correct.
Which I would guess.
SPEAKER_02 (34:53):
This is the thing that is so ridiculous about it.
You have to get eight preferencepoints in the state of Wisconsin
before you're even considered todraw a tag in the state of
Wisconsin as a goddamn resident,and that's no, and Connor, and
that's what's crazy to it.
SPEAKER_01 (35:13):
Like, like you said, so you look at zone B in
Wisconsin, they say the average,so like like Connor said, you
got eight preference points.
So now every year, what is it,Connor?
Like five bucks to put in for atag, you know, and if you get
one, it's like fifty dollars orwhatever it is.
So you look at this, so you youput in a preference point, you
(35:33):
get a preference point for eightyears.
Now you're like Connor said,you're only considered.
I had a I this is crazy becauselike my my wife's and uncle live
up in Goodman, Wisconsin, zoneB, full of bears.
She's putting in a tag, and itcame to eight year eight, like
Connor said.
(35:53):
Okay, now you're considered 14years, and she finally got
drawn, and you know, and Godbless her, and I'm proud of her.
She shot her first bear everwith her archery combo the
second night.
But 14 years as like Connorsaid, as a resident, get the get
(36:13):
out of here.
Like, I'm not gonna sit here andpay.
Like, yeah, I guess I just Ihave my own thoughts and my own,
like I guess I voice my opinionso much, but you know, as being
a Wisconsin resident, paying thetaxes, like any state, anybody,
anywhere, for us residents towait 14 years to go shoot a
bear, get out of here.
(36:35):
Like that that is to me, it'ssimply just ridiculous.
SPEAKER_02 (36:38):
Yeah, that that that's just why I I gave up.
Um, you know, because theyexpire after certain amount of
it.
Same here.
I don't do it no more either.
I I don't do it.
And and with with my daughtersand sports and whatever, it's
like I'm sorry, I'm I'm just youknow, I'm a I'm a white-tailed
junkie by heart.
(37:00):
Um, and you know, the being ableto hunt bare and all, I mean,
that sounds phenomenal out inJersey.
How you guys can you guys areblessed to be able to do that.
SPEAKER_03 (37:11):
Yeah, I mean, and our state's crazy when it comes
to like the anti-hunters, andyeah, well, it sounds like a
blessing that we yeah, we have ablessing compared to compared to
you guys.
SPEAKER_02 (37:23):
Well, I mean, here in Wisconsin, like, yeah, like
it is a massive typically onaverage in Wisconsin, you know,
it's gone down over the years,but I would say that typically
there's between 250 and 270,000people that um get a tag for bow
(37:44):
hunting every year, and then forgun season, it's anywhere
between 600 to 700,000 peoplethat get uh gun gun wheat tags.
Um but it yeah, it it's it's Idon't know.
The the way the way that and theother thing is is I mean,
(38:05):
obviously we've got some megagiants here in the state of
Wisconsin.
Oh, yeah, we do all areadependent in terms of
agriculture and etc.
But the DNR also I think heavilyinflates the deer population um
as to what it really is, but Idon't know.
(38:25):
I mean, I I wish what you guyshave out there in Jersey and
just the east coast in general.
I I wish we had those thoseadditional opportunities because
yeah, having to wait eight yearsfor a tag as a resident is just
yeah, that's wild.
SPEAKER_01 (38:40):
It's absurd, it's it's absolutely absurd.
SPEAKER_02 (38:44):
And we we also have a massive, massive bear
population in the state ofWisconsin.
There's no shortage of bears.
No, there's no shortage.
SPEAKER_03 (38:55):
That's insane.
SPEAKER_01 (38:56):
It's it's and I think that's what it comes down
to, like kind of saying, like,you know, for us to have to wait
as a resident eight years for azone Bono 22 or whatever, it it
makes the love for hunting otherthan other other than white
tails.
Like, I lost love for it here inWisconsin.
I'm strictly and it comes tospring, it's turkeys, fall,
(39:20):
white tail, winter, I'm chasingflags and having fun.
I lost all the love for anythingelse, you know.
Like, I mean, every year I buymy small game tape because if I
see a young and I'm sorry, goodnight, you're gone, you're done.
Yeah, and now you know, I nowlike my cell cameras have been
going off like crazy on myphone, so I'm kind of curious
what's on there, but likeraccoons, my good god.
(39:40):
I I tell you what, I I I jokearound my my mother-in-law,
Carrie, I go, I don't know whatyou guys have in this water or
what you have out here, but whatare you feeding these things?
Because I had a coon come on umthe other night.
I couldn't even see its freakinglegs, like that thing, it was so
bulging fat.
And I don't know, no.
(40:02):
Shh, yeah, I already saw it,dude.
Damn it.
I fucking hate Vaughn.
Vaughn is kissing my ass.
Um, like I already touched mytaxidermist asking him, like,
hey, how much is it for um afull-mount record?
And he goes, dude, I've knownyou forever, dude.
I know you since you were achild.
And he goes, go kill one, we'llwork out a deal.
(40:22):
I'm like, okay, I'm gonna get mysmall game take because I'm
gonna drill a raccoon with mybolt, and I want to get a full
body moat because these things II can't put it into words how
fat these things are, and it'sjust it's stupid.
Like, I it's it's just dumb.
And they're everywhere, they'rejust everywhere.
SPEAKER_03 (40:39):
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, I bel I believe that, but boys.
I mean, I I think we'll I thinkwe'll end it here.
Um we will be back after bearseason.
Everyone in in New Jerseyheading out for the Bear Woods.
Good luck.
We are looking forward toeverything.
I hope everyone out there, youknow, has a very successful
(41:01):
time, uh, has fun and stay safe.
So boys out in Wisconsin, wehope for uh some better weather
for you guys, maybe get thatthat real fall weather, maybe
some some rain and everythinglike that for you guys.
Yeah.
Um and you know, hope thingsreally start kicking up for you
guys in in the next probably inthe next probably week.
I I I definitely would hope.
(41:22):
So it's gonna kick up.
SPEAKER_02 (41:25):
I'm hoping to be able to provide some good
content on a big Ohio buck.
So in the next one.
SPEAKER_03 (41:30):
There you go, girl.
Yes, enjoy, enjoy Ohio.
We will get the whole updatewhen when you get back.
We're looking forward to it.
Good luck.
Craig, we'll we'll see you guysnext week.
And uh boys, take care, fellas.
Yeah.
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