May 20, 2025 • 42 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, what's going on everybody?
Frank Mastica from the GardenState Outdoorsman Podcast.
I just wanted to hop on herereal quick and apologize, but
due to technical difficulties wehad to cut the podcast short.
With Mike Testa from NJWoodlander on Instagram, we look
forward to having him back onagain, but for now we hope you
guys enjoy this episode andwe'll see you guys next time.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Welcome back to the Garden State Outdoorsman Podcast
presented by Boone DucksHunting.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
That's why your tagline, my JCL known perfect.
You don't know what thatmountain's going to bring.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
You don't know what that mountain's going to bring I
accidentally drifted my canoebetween a sow and a cub and she,
like charged and like hit, likethe back of the canoe.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
His head hit the ground before his ass did.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Begging, begging and crying.
To go with my grandfather, gowith my father on these deer
drives.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
You know, the last trip over I shot a great cape
buffalo with my bow, chargingthrough the grass, and then the
whooping and then you hear abody drop.
Welcome everybody to the GardenState Outdoorsman Podcast.
I'm your host, Frank Mestica.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I'm your co-host, Mike Nightrang.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
And ladies and gentlemen, today we got a very
special guest.
He goes by New JerseyWoodlander on Instagram, mr Mike
Testa testa.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
mike, welcome to the show thank you guys for having
me man.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I really appreciate it, really appreciate it very
much no, we appreciate youhaving you on so, mike, why
don't you just give us a a quickbreakdown of, um, you know,
just a little background onyourself, like it could be
family, whatever, whatever,wherever you want to start,
absolutely man.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
So I am uh 46.
I lived in New Jersey my wholelife, hunted fish in New Jersey
my whole life.
Um, from Northern, I'm fromNorth Jersey originally, but I
live in uh, central Southern NewJersey Now.
Um, I work in agriculture and,you know, just literally tore up
with turkeys and I love totrout fish, shed, hunt, all that
type of stuff, man.
(02:03):
So so just just love being inthe outdoors, Jim, and yeah, no,
that's definitely awesome.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah so, mike.
So I was just going to ask youreal quick about um.
So you say you're intoagriculture.
For people who, like, don'treally know too much about it,
can you like dive in a littlebit more about it?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
absolutely, yeah, yeah.
So I'm really lucky.
I get to travel, uh from sussexcounty to cape may county
pretty much every week.
I'm in the field all the timeum.
I work um pretty much on farms,helping farmers uh, being able
to sell their produce to a lotof the bigger grocery stores in
the state of new jersey.
So your wagmans, your weightferns, all that kind of stuff,
(02:45):
so it's really cool.
Also Also helps me to you know,see a lot of wildlife, know
where a lot of stuff is going onin the state.
You know, one morning I could beup in High Point, and you know,
on a Monday morning and then onTuesday morning I might be down
in Cape May County.
So you know, literally all overthe state.
So it's it's a pretty cool job,there's no doubt about that
whatsoever.
Wow, yeah, I think I might be alittle jealous yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
You know you get to work and scout.
Yeah, get to work and scout allat the same time.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Love it.
Like I said, I'm hyping it up alittle bit, but I got.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I am very lucky, there's no doubt about that.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
All right, we'll take it.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yep, yep that's exactly right, man.
Awesome, awesome.
So you must be getting excitedfor turkey season coming up.
What's your plans for that?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
100%.
So I got a B week and C weektag down here in the south.
And then for a week I'm goingto a turkey camp in Pennsylvania
.
So I'll be out in Pennsylvaniafor the opener and then work
that BNC weekend with work andall that kind of stuff.
So, super, super pumped up aboutthat.
Absolutely I was gonna.
(03:57):
My plan was also to head downto Maryland but I just think you
know, with family and all thatkind of stuff, I don't think
that's going to work this year.
But definitely, definitelyhunting those two states Jersey
and I go to Pennsylvania everyyear.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Wow, that's awesome.
Now do you got private land inPennsylvania or you hunt state
land, so in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
We hunt both private and public.
Primarily public, but we dohave permission to get on some
ground and where we hunt at,which is really pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
No, that's really cool.
I've never hunted PA forbasically turkey or really deer
lately, but I used to go outthere a lot and hunt doves a lot
when.
I was a kid with my family.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Absolutely yeah, yeah yeah.
At Delaware to hunt doves iscrazy, right?
So kid with my family,absolutely, yeah, yeah, yeah
that Delaware to hunt doves iscrazy, right?
So it's got to go yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Oh, we used to have a blast, I think I.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I used to go through like a hundred shells as a kid,
like nothing oh man, if youthink you're a good shot, hunt
doves, right, then you're likeoh my god yep 100 100 now plus
that season kind of kicks offyour year, you know, like the
september yeah you're like ohman, now we're, we're rocking
and rolling.
Now you know what I mean.
(05:11):
That's absolutely.
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
That's really cool no , that is really cool.
So I know um.
So you said that you got um.
You said cnd week for jersey uh, cnd, that's right yeah cnd all
right.
So what's your plans for jerseythen?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
because do you hunt land in jersey 100 public ground
in new jersey.
Yeah, I, I, I have.
All my hunting is on publicground in new jersey.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely 100.
So that's why I kind of youknow I'm one of those guys that
just has boots on the ground allthe time.
I love being in the woodsregardless.
So it's as you guys know, it'shas boots on the ground all the
time I love being in the woodsregardless.
So it's as you guys know, it's agrind on the public, especially
(05:48):
down here, because in theSouthern part of the state we
have a lot of birds on ourpublic ground, but everyone
knows it you know what I meanCause they're very, they're very
noticeable.
So you got to find, you got tofind those little niche spots
where you know that Mondaymorning when you go there,
there's not going to be seventrucks parked in the same
parking lot.
You know what I mean.
(06:09):
It's rough down here in theSouth Zones, like I said,
there's a lot of birds.
Our bird numbers are reallygood.
The past two years, last yeardown here we had a phenomenal
hatch.
So, there's lots and lots andlots of birds down here.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
But, like I said, I'm not the only one seeing them.
You know what I mean.
That's yep.
Quick question on on you knowyou're you're doing a cnd?
Is this like a?
Do you usually do later in theyear because of your work
schedule and everything likethat, or is this just a year
that you're you're deciding todo cnd?
Okay?
Speaker 4 (06:40):
that's exactly what I do, and and what I found is
that, um, as far where I hunt,the ground that I hunt, the
birds are way more.
They're still in those.
You know.
They're still tending birdsdown here, hens really late, I
don't know why, but they'rereally with hens.
So I give them that little bitof time to break up, get away
(07:02):
from those hens and and, uh, youknow, I, I, I seem to have more
luck there in that regards likethat, they're, uh, you know
that a week they're still reallyhenned up and you know, they're
just, they're just.
They got that one thing ontheir mind and they don't really
want to leave those hens.
You know what I mean.
They're if they're with hens,they're.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Kind of what's your strategy?
Going into a hunt like thatwhere you're hunting C&D?
Obviously it's going to be abit different than you know,
getting a chance to hunt thefirst week and opening day and
everything like that.
So these are going to bepressure birds on, you know,
public land.
So what's your strategy?
Going into a C&D week to startout?
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Yep, so I'm not an aggressive caller.
I like to try to find birds,try to roost birds the night
before, like Sunday night,before that Monday that I have
time allowed to hunt.
You know I'll hit a bunch ofspots but I'm not like a really
aggressive caller.
I like to kind of let the birdsdo what they're going to do
(08:01):
first when they come down offthe roost.
And you know I'll give them acouple, couple kiki's when
they're on the um, when they'reon the limb, just to let them
know that I'm in the area, likea hen's in the area, um, but I'm
not a very aggressive calleruntil they hit the ground.
Um, most of my spots, most ofthe public ground that I hunt
I'm not really hunting fieldbirds at all um, it's all like
bigger timber areas, um, so Ilike to find uh habitat breaks
(08:25):
in in habitat breaks in thosewoodlands, like I hunt the pine
barrens all the time which arepretty just monotonous, straight
pitch pine mixed with blackjackoak and in those spots I try to
.
You know, a lot of the birds arefound in specific areas of
those big woods and you got tokind of find where they are in
those breaks, those habitatbreaks um, and then just try to
(08:49):
really get yourself in aposition where you're going to
have open shots and they'regoing to be able to get to you.
That's also an issue where Ihunt.
A lot of the areas are so thickso you really gotta kind of
know where you're getting to getyourself a shot and get
yourself, you know, situatedwhere those birds can kind of
make it to you at the same time.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
You know yeah, no, I think that's a really cool
strategy actually, because Iknow, especially up um, up here
in northern jersey where I live,it's uh, a lot of guys rely
mostly on, like, the field edges.
Absolutely, you know, you youmight find one or two guys that
hunt, you know, like in thewoods, but mainly you, I mean
(09:29):
you'll drive by a field andyou'll just see decoys
everywhere absolutely, man.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Yes, yep, yep, absolutely.
Like I said, we have, uh, youknow, let's say I'm driving for
work, I might see, honestly,like like a couple weeks ago,
I'll probably see 40 to 50 birdsin like a two-hour span, and on
private, you know what I mean.
So you know how lots of fieldbirds down here, but, um, where
I hunt, like I said, where Ihunt, where I, where I have the
(09:55):
access to I'm only hunting, youknow, woodland birds definitely,
definitely woodland setups likethat, you know.
So, like I said, I'm not veryaggressive because a lot of
times those birds are bumped andharassed on that eight week
already.
You know what I mean right butthe cool thing is is a lot of
people really only hunt three orfour days you know what I mean
and they're like, oh my god, Ican't kill these birds, these
(10:17):
birds, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
They're doing whatever they're doing, you know
.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
So I kind of let everything almost settle down.
You know what I I mean.
And then you know, take my time, A lot of times I'll kill a
bird, like at the end of theweek.
You know what I mean.
Like once I can, once I can getin there and figure out what
they're actually doing.
You know what I mean.
That's like, like I said, I, I,a couple of my buddies, are the
running gun type of guys youknow what I mean and I'm just
(10:52):
it's.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
It's just what works for me and how I kind of learn
to hunt the birds.
You know what I mean?
Just I take a like a, a commonapproach to to try to figure
them out, right?
No, I, because that's theapproach I used last year.
I did a lot of running, gunningand, um, I wasn't that
successful with it but um, youknow it's yeah, exactly so.
I usually for me, especially forJersey, I'll just, I'll usually
just get like Y week.
I'll just do Saturdays only,you know, here for Jersey, and
(11:13):
then once New York state opensup, we have we have a farm up
there I'll go up there, I'll getlike with one of our other
buddies from the Boondockshunting crew and, uh, you know,
I'll just hunt with him if I'm,if I want to go outdoor in the
week, or you know, or on aSunday or whatever but I'll just
(11:37):
I mainly just focus on theSaturdays here.
Yeah, um, you know, and I meanreally, cause where I hunt it's
the refuge itself.
It's just it's hard becausethere's not a lot of.
You know, I drove it actuallythe other day and I saw like
maybe I saw one spot that waslike six or eight birds and
nothing else anywhere else.
(11:58):
It's just it's just soovergrown and there's the
habitat just not there for themabsolutely, man, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
There's no, no doubt about that.
I know, like you know, we lostour fall season.
Um, you know, they got rid ofthe fall season now, so we can't
hunt birds in the fall and I'mall for you know, if somebody
told me we can't hunt turkeysanymore, I'm I'm a person that's
for the resource 100.
You know what I mean.
Like if, if the biologist said,you know our numbers are so low
(12:28):
we have to have a three-yearperiod where we can't hunt birds
, I'm 100% not a peep out of it.
So I'm fortunate enough to beon a lot of good farms with a
lot of great habitat.
Some of the farmers that I getpermission to go on their
property for work are doing alot of work with a small game in
(12:49):
the southern part of the statefor northern boblets pretty much
that's what a lot of the lot ofthe farmers are getting on NRCS
money from the feds to do a lotof habitat improvements on
their marginal ground and stuff.
You know, and where they'redoing that, I mean the pulp
production, is amazing.
You know what I mean.
So, as you guys were saying,you know the public ground up
(13:11):
north, the public ground near mein the central and southern
part of the states, you know itleaves a lot, lot, lot to be
desired.
You know, and I'm very lucky tohunt in Pennsylvania where the
game commission in Pennsylvaniareally does tremendous,
tremendous amount of habitatwork on the properties and you
know you just have to cross theriver to see the difference in,
(13:33):
you know, habitat enhancement,habitat improvements, all those
types of things.
You know it's really it's it'sit's pretty stark.
You know what I mean.
Um, when you see producers inlike salem and cumberland,
county new jersey, that aredoing a lot of habitat work and
then they they have boughtpublic ground and you know all
the all the wildlife, all theendangered species, all that
(13:57):
kind of stuff is on theirproperty and the state ground is
, you know, pretty much justmulti-flora rows and lots of
invasive species and that kindof stuff.
You know what I mean.
It's, it's, you know prettymuch just multi-flora rows and
lots of invasive species andthat kind of stuff.
You know I mean, it's, it's,you know, you can.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
You can see it clear as day yeah, definitely go ahead
, mike and that's something thatI've definitely noticed and
like at least some of the thewma's up by us have been doing a
much better job at, at doingbut like it was getting so bad,
especially in west jersey, likeyou know, and you could see the
turkey numbers declining for formany reasons and you know, yeah
(14:30):
, they, they would probably bemore on public and every or
private and everything like that, but the habitat just wasn't
suitable for them and you haveso much stuff that's overgrown
and and um, non-native speciesof just you know, plant life
just growing, which isn't isn'thelping, and it's something that
we talked to um michaelchamberlain about last year and
(14:52):
he goes a big part is just, youknow, the the things that that
we do just are not good enoughfor the habitat and it is having
a huge effect on the turkeypump, not only just in New
Jersey, but just all over, allover the country.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
I'm just really, I really havemy fingers crossed that we have
a good, dryer spring again, likewe've had the past two years,
because it really, really,really helps with that pulp
production when we have those.
You know, like I guess in 2021,2022, we had those real cold,
long cold spells in the spring.
(15:29):
You know what I mean and itjust it just hammers those hens
when they're on their nest.
You know they just lose all thebroods and you can definitely
tell, you know.
You can tell when you have, youknow, two good hatches and you
have all those crazytwo-year-olds gobbling
everywhere and you know what Imean.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
They're fun yeah, definitely, and it's just like.
It's just so crazy how, likeyou know how everything works,
because, like I can, like when Iused to hunt the refuge, I can
go and sit literally you knowall deer season and see only
(16:08):
maybe like a handful of turkeysif I'm lucky, and then it's.
You know, here we are, you knowcome, you know springtime
you're, you're all amped up,you're waiting to hear that
gobble and just nothing.
It's just the woods are quiet,just dead.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
It's just like yeah, it's crazy and it's funny
because, uh, I vividly remembermy first sighting of wild
turkeys in New Jersey and it wasin 1990 and it was on a
wildlife management area inSussex County okay and you know,
from like 1990 to like 0102 Imean up there, man, it just blew
(16:44):
up.
The population was amazing.
You know what I mean.
Um, yeah and those numbers have.
You know, those numbers lasteda long time and obviously, like
I was saying before, you'regonna have bad hatches, you're
gonna have good hatches.
They're gonna fluctuate.
You know what I mean.
But, like you said, you can.
You can really see on thatlandscape when there aren't
birds there.
You know what I mean.
It's not like they're just notgobbling that morning.
(17:05):
You know, if you're runningtrail cameras, if you're on
there bow hunting in the fall,um, you're just not seeing those
winter flocks.
You know when they're flockingup in the winter.
You're going to know.
You're going to see the sign.
You're going to see all thescratching everywhere.
You know there's, you know, 12to 25 birds walking through.
You know I mean they.
They leave a mark whetheryou're hearing them or not.
You know and if you're notseeing them.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
They're not there, you know yep, no, couldn't say
better myself.
But do you have something, mike, you look like you want to say
something no, no, I will.
Okay, I thought I was going tointerrupt you no, not this time
all right, perfect.
So I was gonna ask so um, haveyou ever killed a turkey with a
(17:45):
bow before, or no?
Yeah, or do you prefer justshotgun?
Speaker 4 (17:49):
yeah, shotgun, yeah, yeah, yeah, 20 gauge, that's
what I, that's what I hunt with.
Yes, yep, yep.
And you know I started huntingwith a hand-me-down 870,
remington 870, you know justlike just what I had.
You know I don't come from ahunting family.
I started bow.
I actually started bow huntingfirst in 1990.
(18:09):
I just got an old Hoyt youthmodel from Sportsman Center in
Bordentown.
You know where so many of us got.
You know that first, uh, firsthunting weapon, I had a family
friend who saw that I was into,uh, nature and the outdoors and
you know, kind of took me underhis wing, was like you know,
you're, you're in the woods allthe time looking for snakes,
looking for turtles, all thattype of stuff.
(18:30):
And he was like you know, hesaw that I was interested in
what tails.
So he took me in, got the bowand everything and I actually
just like started hunting with abow.
Like, just sit on the ground,going to public ground hunting
with a bow.
You know, um, but I neverkilled a turkey with about no, I
have not, I have not.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
It's kind of kind of crazy I'm in the same boat, so
um.
So, what were you saying?
No, nothing.
Oh, I had my I was gonna.
I told you like I gotta stoplooking at you, mike.
(19:07):
I'm sorry, but all right.
So let's shift a little gearshere.
So have you been out troutseason yet?
How's your trout season going?
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Good man, really cool , really good.
I went to the Mentored YouthDay.
I take my daughter every yearto Mentored Youth Day.
I think this was year 11 for us.
Didn't catch anything, but it'sall about traditions.
You know we're very I'm reallyinto traditions like that, you
know, getting kids involved inthe outdoors and stuff.
And then I went to the openerin Pennsylvania and did really
(19:41):
good, did really good, caughtlike I caught six and a golden
rainbow, which was pretty cool.
That's awesome.
And you know Pennsylvaniastocks a good variety.
They still stock brookies, theystill stock browns, rainbows
and then the golden rainbows,which are really cool too.
And then last week I fished aspot near me in Jersey and did
(20:03):
pretty good there too also.
So it's definitely been a goodtrout season so far.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yeah, no, it sounds like a hell of a trout season.
I haven't even been out yet.
Sounds like a hell of a troutseason.
I haven't even been out yet.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
I like to uh for these three or four weeks before
my turkey season kicks off.
I love like I need something todo.
You know what I mean.
Like yeah, a hundred percent.
Like go do something.
So I'm like I get in the trout,I get the trout bug for, like,
you know like four or five weeks, you know what I mean, and then
it's just like burns out, thenI'm just all turkeys.
You know like four or fiveweeks, you know what I mean, and
then it's just like burns out,then I'm just all turkeys all
turkeys all the time.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yup, listen, a hundred percent.
That's why I've been dying toeven just just take the wife and
kid out, you know cause they'vebeen asking me.
I just haven't had the timecause it's always something
happening, you know so.
But I mean I've been, I've beenitching to get out there, but
I've never caught a golden troutbefore.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
They are super awesome.
That's a bucket list.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Yeah, it's definitely on my bucket list.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
They are cool, man.
You guys got to get yourPennsylvania license and head
across the river, without adoubt, because they stock very,
very, very nice fish too.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
The golden rainbows are usually their breeder stock,
so they're like three to fouryears old old and they're
getting them out of the hatchery, you know.
So they're a nice fish, yeah,yeah, they're awesome.
They're really cool.
That's nice.
I remember the first time whenI caught my first like hooker
winter fish.
You know, for uh, for jersey, Icaught my first trout.
He was only like nine inches,but when I saw a tag hanger man
(21:33):
I did like a back flip.
I was like, finally, I finallydid it.
And that was it.
Only happened to me once, heybut it happened once.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
That's all, that's all that counts.
Yeah, that's awesome though.
That's cool.
That's cool as heck.
Without a doubt, I love, um, Ialso love to fish for, uh,
native brook trout in like northcentral pennsylvania.
So we take a couple, we trips ayear to Sullivan County,
usually near the Loyal SockCreek.
So I love that too.
(22:00):
I would love it.
I mean, I love it, but I wouldlove it more if it was more
accessible.
You know what I mean.
But it's always, you know,living in southern New Jersey.
I don't have access to, youknow, native brook trout strange
, or anything like that.
But I do.
I do love catching nativebrookies and obviously wild
Browns too.
We get into them up there too,but I just just don't, you know,
(22:21):
just not, not, it's not closeenough to me to do it all the
time, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, we, we got them up here, all you know, on a
bunch of the streams andeverything like that, and a
Brown is still still on my, mylike that, and a brown is still
still on my my list of trout.
I've caught almost everythingexcept for the golden and and
the brown.
I've done native brooks and youknow stuff like that and I love
trout fishing.
I really do.
I just off.
You know.
You know frank, and I have beentalking.
You know a lot of us talk it.
(22:49):
We spent so much time gettingready for hunting season and you
know things like that and deerhunting and and just hunting
during during the year, thatfishing really has taken the
back seat because then it'sfamily time and you know we got
to do other stuff and you'reworking as much as you can so
you can get out in the woods tohunt and everything like that.
(23:09):
And it's a definitely a shameand you know I even I was even
tell Frank like I here in NewJersey, unfortunately, and you
know I even I was even tellfrank like I here in new jersey,
unfortunately.
You know, yes, a big part of isa lot of you know docking and
everything like that, but it'slike on that opening day in the
week, like the rain has justbeen awful.
I feel like the last couple ofyears where the water levels are
(23:29):
just like unbearable and it'sjust like I feel like like what
last year last year frank, andthe water was just so high and
rough, it's like ragingand you know this year I mean
it's it's rained a lot, ofcourse, the days off that you
know, the time that we we doit's nice out, we're all at work
and we we can't get out andeverything like that.
(23:51):
So you know, I I wish theweather would cooperate a little
bit better, especially duringthe early parts of trout season,
before turkey, you know, headsup.
But the cool thing also aboutturkey is, you know, I'm gonna
make sure I bring the pole andeverything like that and try to
get out and do some troutfishing right after turkey's
done 100 man, that's the 100%man.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
That there's no doubt about that, no doubt about that
, and I think it's kind of cool.
Like I said, growing up as akid, I always wanted to identify
things and know what things are.
You know, it's just kind of it'sjust kind of bled into that.
And then you realize like, waita minute, you know.
You start putting a and Btogether and realizing like okay
, these acorns, they like atthis time of the year, these red
(24:35):
oaks, they like at this time ofyear, these white oaks, they
like at this time of the year.
You know what I mean.
And it all that whole web kindof opens up, you know, opens
your eyes to like what's what'sreally going on in those natural
systems.
And and then you realize likeokay, well, you know, why am I
going to be able to find deer atthis time of the year here?
Why am I going to be able to,you know, find these shagbark
(24:56):
hickories and go try to huntsome twirls in this area?
You know what I mean, like,like you said, it all comes
together like that 100, 100.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
No doubt about that, which absolutely, and it
probably helps you with, uh,with your shed hunting too, I
would imagine yes, yep, yep,without a doubt.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
That man, yep, yep, without a doubt, you know?
Um, as far as my shed hunting,I'm just always looking for uh
bedding.
You know what I mean if I'm inthe bedding, I know at least I'm
in the right area.
You know, um, yeah, with shedhunting, you got to realize that
, like 90 of the woods you wantto get through you know what I
mean and you just hit thosespots where the sheds are.
(25:35):
You know, I mean, like, and I'vebeen shed hunting for a long
time and I didn't know that fora long time I would just, you
know, walk in the woods so slow.
Now I, now I can see the woodsand I know, like, okay, you know
I can, I can speed up in theseareas that I call dead zones.
And then, once you get in thoseshady areas where you know you
can see the bed and you can seethe feeding, you see a lot more
(25:55):
signs.
Um, you know, okay, now I gotta, now I gotta take it easy and
slow down and really, you know,start focusing on, depending on
if I'm in new jersey, what typeof habitat I look for the sheds
in new jersey or if I'm inpennsylvania, what type of
habitat, um, that I try to keyin and focus on in Pennsylvania.
But it all comes together withknowing what species you're
(26:21):
looking for and what isproviding food at different
times of the year.
You know what I mean, like yousaid, it all, it all comes
together without a doubt,without a doubt.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Yeah, that's something I want to do.
To grow as an outdoorsman is,you know, kind of know, just
learn everything about the landand you know just when things,
you know when certain food isgoing to be available, you know
what's best for.
You know from right now, fromsummer, you know that, early
spring to summertime to fall towinter, and you know what.
(26:50):
Obviously everyone knows acornsand things like that and you
know what.
Obviously everyone knows acornsand things like that.
But there's just so much moreout there that probably there's
things that we probably don'teven really know.
You know, I mean, I, animals,just like they're, just, they're
so equipped at survival and youknow, obviously as humans we've
lost a lot of touch with thatjust because now we get the
(27:12):
sleeping homes, ac, heat, youknow, and every it is different,
you know, now for us, but everyday is a survival for them.
You know, and these creatures,they, they, they just know.
You know, and when it's thattime of the year, you know we'll
keep it simple with acorns.
It's like you know where youneed to be as a hunter If you,
(27:38):
you know acorns are dropping.
You know you got to find thathot sign and everything like
that, and it's like something Iwant to know is be able to be
out in the woods and spotsomething like okay, this is
what I'm looking at, this isgoing to help me, you know, come
, you know, you know, maybelater in the year, maybe, you
know, whatever the case is, whenthe food dwindles, you know,
maybe this is something thatthey're going to come back to,
you know, in winter andsomething like that.
(27:59):
And that's something I reallywant to get get better at as a
as outdoorsman.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
Absolutely man, absolutely Like.
I like I always tell you know,I work with a couple of young
guys who are just kind ofgetting into hunting and stuff
like that and uh, I kind of feellike, with um, social media now
there's like so much pressureon a lot of people to like kill
a giant buck right away or killa turkey right away, or numbers
(28:24):
of turkeys.
You know, and I try to tell them.
You know like it could be yearsbefore you shoot your first
buck, it could be years beforeyou take your first turkey.
And don't let any of that.
You know, get in the woods andlearn all the stuff that we're
talking about right now first,because all those things will
then happen and it'll all clickand it'll all open up in front
of your eyes.
You'll you'll start puttingthose pieces together.
(28:44):
You know what I mean, but youknow it's not about.
You know going out there forthree sits and you know shooting
a 138 buck in new jersey.
You know what I mean, like, butI think a lot of people's mind
that's like what you're supposedto do, that's, it's just
supposed to click and it'ssupposed to happen.
You know what I mean becausethey're scrolling all day
looking at big bucks from iowa.
You know what I mean and it'slike it's just.
(29:06):
You know, it's just not.
You know that's not not whatyou're working with.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Yep, yep no, I mean especially with jersey being
like such a big baiting state.
Yes, itself it's, you knoweverybody.
Just, I think a lot of peoplerely on that too, you know so
100 it's like they're like whyam I going to go do all that or
(29:29):
put in that all that effort?
I could just throw a ladderstand, throw some corn or
whatever I have apples and letthem come to me that a lot of
people look at it that wayabsolutely man 100, and you know
, to each their own.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
You know what I mean, like yeah I'm one of those guys
that's like if, if, it's legalin that state and that's what
you want to do.
God bless you.
You know what I mean.
I might not be into it, but whoam I, you know what I mean.
Like yeah you can.
You know what I mean.
I might not be into it, but whoam I, you know what I mean.
Like, yeah, you can you know,do, do whatever you're going to
do, and I'm going to do whateverI'm going to do, you know.
(30:05):
But, but, as we were sayingonce, you know, for myself, at
least it's, it's more fulfillingto it's grouse, whatever that
is.
It's kind of like, you know,when you put that together, you
really can you know you could bedropped off anywhere in the
woods and put that together inlike four or five days and and
be in the game.
At least you know what I mean.
(30:26):
Yeah, which which, like I said,from, just for me, just
personally, that's a lot morefulfilling than, you know, just
sitting over a pile of corn.
But, like, like I said, if it'slegal, it's awesome.
You know, if it's legal and theperson's happy, that's really
all that it's about, you know.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Facts Yep, definitely facts.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
No, I agree, Definitely Go ahead, mike.
What?
Speaker 2 (30:49):
were you going to say you know I want to.
Let's get to like maybe one ortwo more turkey Questions.
We never know how much time wehave Before it's going to cut
out on us.
Frankie, you Got one more forthe turkey talk uh, let me think
you you start.
(31:10):
First let me think I'll go um,you know for you, you know you,
you've been hunting, now, birdsfor for a while.
Now you know what is the onekey advice you would give to you
know, maybe a a new turkeyhunter that, uh, you wish you
had, uh the knowledge when you,when you first got into it oh,
that's an easy one.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
That's the patience.
Like I was talking about man,because I literally, you know,
can't, can't tell you how manybirds I messed up through the
years.
You know what I mean.
So it would literally just bejust patience and and kind of
let the bird tell you what it'skind of doing first and then
make your move on that bird.
You know what I mean.
Just just give them a chance todo what they're going to do for
(31:53):
a second before you.
You know, before you over call,before you move too close to
the roost, before you, you know,if you're going in the dark,
like I said, I've done it amillion times, getting too close
to that bird and bumping it, oryou know thinking, okay, this
is the only thing it's going todo, it's's going to land.
You know, I set myself up towhere there's an opening and
it's going to.
You know, pitch off that roostand come and drop 40, you know
(32:15):
40, 45 yards in front of me andit's going to be over.
You know, just have patience.
That's really, that's reallythe main, the main thing.
You know.
Yeah, I agree.
Oh, I'm sorry.
No, no, go ahead.
I would also say spend time inthe woods.
That's, that's.
That's also really, really thenumber one thing.
You know, make you know, knowwhere birds are, get yourself
(32:38):
situated where you you know to,to put yourself in the best
situation.
You know what I mean.
That's it.
Just put, put your time and bein the woods.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Yeah, no, like I.
I couldn't have said it bettermyself, because I think one of
the things I'm guilty of is Ilove hearing the birds gobble.
So I'll you know, it's like oneof those things where, like you
know, you hear them.
You hear them gobbling youright away.
Like you know, my firstinstinct is to want to call back
to them.
Right, and I mean it sounds andit'll look good for the camera,
(33:10):
it'll sound good for the camera, it'll sound good for the
camera.
But I think a lot of people getcaught up and just hearing him
gobble myself included, and Imean I've, I've blew it a couple
times doing that and then I'mlike shit, like I should have
been more quiet, I should havewaited.
You think about it after thefact, you know, but your heart's
going, you're all pumped.
You know you hear them, andit's just.
(33:31):
You know that that's turkeyhunting, though you know.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
That's a hundred percent, man.
Like I said, I start listeningfor birds in February and that
first bird, I hear in themorning man, like the first bird
I'll hear.
It might be like February 28thand I hear one on the limb and I
literally start shaking and I'mlike, oh my God, you got to
calm down, so I 100% understandwhat you're saying and, like I
said, I've done it a thousandtimes exactly what you're
(33:56):
talking about.
Just trying to sneak, you know,trying to be too aggressive,
push in too close, call too much.
I've done it, definitely 100%,but that you know.
Just just, I guess, messing upenough, I learned to be like,
okay, don't, don't, don't dothat.
You know what I mean?
That's it.
That's it.
That's the name of the game.
But yeah, no you gotta mess upto get it right.
(34:17):
You know what I mean.
That that's pretty much what itis, you know oh, 100.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Now.
Do you prefer hunting byyourself or with somebody else,
so like I primarily hunt bymyself.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Yes, yep, if I do.
Like I said, when I go topennsylvania, we kind of have a
little camp, we have a little,uh, a crew that goes there, but
I I primarily hunt by myself.
Um, for, honestly, foreverything, I have um a good
friend that I that that I bowhunt white tails with, but we we
hunt like in the same generalarea, but you know we might
drive in and and he drops me offand he goes a mile away.
You know what I mean.
Like, like something like that.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
You know we might drive in and and he drops me off
and he goes a mile away, youknow what I mean like, like,
something like that.
Speaker 4 (34:52):
You know what I mean, but primarily I do hunt by
myself.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
Yes, yep yeah, I think I I'm in the same boat
there, but you know, I mean itis fun, you know, because I'll
go with one of our guys uh, youknow, outdoors and more squats
me, me and him will go and I'llusually have him do all the
calling.
So all I gotta do is worryabout shooting, you know.
So it, you know it's each zoneit could benefit you, but you
(35:15):
know, it's one of those thingswhere you're like, you know, you
know turkeys are smart, theygot that eyesight.
And you know it's one of thosewhere you're like oh, you know
well, cause, like I can't waitto take my son out, but I'm so
scared of like him moving orsomething you know, and because
I want him to get the fullexperience.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
So absolutely, man, absolutely.
I uh.
A good friend of mine, his uhbrother-in-law, just got into
hunting and uh took his test andhe pulled his first turkey tag
for new jersey, uh, this year.
So I'm super excited I am goingto hunt with people this year
for the first time.
He got one of the Y tags.
(35:55):
So we're going two Saturdaysfrom now and I'm just going to
be calling no gun, no nothing,and I'm actually so excited
about that.
You know, just to almost relivesome of those first memories.
You know what I mean.
Like I'm really excited aboutthat, to just be sitting back
there calling helping of thosefirst memories.
(36:17):
You know what I mean.
Like I'm really excited aboutthat, to just be sitting back
there calling helping out, doinganything that I can to try to.
You know you.
You know I say try to get, tryto get him his first bird, but
it's so much more than that.
You know what I mean.
Just he's literally like like ababy in the woods.
He is right now.
You know what I mean.
So he's gonna hear his firstcall, you know, first morning
when you're waking up, when whenthe woods are coming alive and
whippoorwills are calling andall that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
You know he's gonna, he's gonna experience all that
and I'm super excited, superexcited for that yeah, it also
puts a lot of pressure on youtoo, though a lot of people
don't realize, because you know,you want to get them their
first bird or whatever you know,and it just you put that extra
stress on yourself and you knowTurkey hunt at all.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
So he's texting me where are the birds at?
You got them all shut up andI'm like dude, I'm trying, I'm
trying.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
Cause you almost don't want to let them down, and
it's like yeah, 100%, man.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
I'm more nervous about those hunts than you know
than my own, than my own spotsor anything like that you know,
Yep, because at least if youblow it, nobody's there watching
too.
Oh, and I've blown it a milliontimes, so it's just like yeah,
just another one.
That's exactly right, man.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
That's a hundred times.
Yeah, I've done that before toomany times.
Haven't we all yeah, you gotanother question.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
Mike, or you want to end it there, you want to keep
going.
It's up to you.
Um, you know what?
Okay, listen, if we, if we gotthe opportunity, we'll, we'll go
one more um you know whenyou're, you know when you're,
you're after when you.
When does your prep really startfor turkey season?
So I like, obviously you know alot of people do multi like,
hey, during deer season I'mstill looking at at turkey time,
(37:56):
but do you the minute deerseason's over, or is that what
you think about is birds, birds,birds.
Um, you know, are you goingright or are you waiting a
little bit, maybe waiting forfor winter to die down?
The snow?
Well, at least you know thesnow's up here for the most part
.
But, like, when is your yourfocus to turkeys kind of
(38:16):
shifting, you know?
And when are you going to start?
You know, going to watch thebirds in the morning and maybe
in the evening and things likethat.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
Yeah, I'm bad I am.
I got birds, Literally.
You can you know my wife, my,daughter.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
They're like okay, we know there's turkeys there.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
You know what I mean.
It's all the time I'm one ofthose guys that's like you know,
in September earn a buck.
You know what I mean.
Like I'm literally looking forflocks and looking for sign and
all that kind of stuff.
It's kind of a year-round deal,but definitely, like,
mid-february is when the switchis flipped.
You know, I do hunt fall.
(38:54):
I hunt fall birds in New Jerseyand I do hunt fall birds in
Pennsylvania too.
Obviously, our season in NewJersey was the, you know, was
whittled down to the four days.
So you know, I would just tryto get out on that Saturday of
the season and, you know, chasebirds in the fall.
That time too, I really enjoy.
(39:17):
I really enjoy fall huntingalso.
Uh, fall hunting, turkeys.
Only because it's so differentthan the spring.
You know you're, you're you'redealing with larger flocks of
birds.
You're trying to break thatflock up, scatter them and call
them back to you, um, so it'sjust kind of like a different,
you know different strategy.
You don't to, you don't have toroost them, you don't have to.
It's a lot more low pressure.
You know turkey hunting and Ireally enjoy that.
(39:37):
So that's why it's not really atime when I when I'm not
thinking about turkeys, you know.
Speaker 3 (39:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Do you find a?
Speaker 3 (39:44):
lot of success in the fall.
Speaker 4 (39:47):
What's that?
Speaker 3 (39:52):
So do you find a lot of success?
Speaker 4 (39:53):
in the fall compared to in the springtime when you
can call them in.
I do yes, yeah, yeah, they're,they're um.
You know when they're in thatflock and you break the flock up
, they are.
You know they're programmed toget back together to find um, to
find food together, to roosttogether, to uh watch out for
predators together.
You know there are any umfeelings at that time is we have
to be together.
We got to predators together.
You know that there are anyfeelings at that time is we have
to be together.
(40:13):
We got to be together.
You know what I mean.
So you can really.
They're really receptive tocalling and they're very, very,
very.
A lot of people don't realize it, but they're communicating
constantly in the fall.
Sometimes they're gobbling morein the fall.
On a fall morning sometimesI'll hear more gobbling than on
like a really low May.
You know we just don't have alot of gobbling in New Jersey.
(40:35):
You'll hear them communicatingon the roost and talking to each
other and making all kinds ofnoise, which for me that's
almost at the stage of the gameright now.
I love just hearing the birdscommunicate and seeing their
habitat, seeing how they comeoff the roost, then killing a
bird, you know what I mean.
That's just.
That's just where I am like.
You know what I mean.
(40:56):
So in the fall, you really cansee that a lot.
You know what I mean yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
Now, if you could pick one deer hunting or turkey
hunting, what would it be?
Uh, turkeys all the time.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
Yeah, I kind of yeah I got it for after I figured you
were a big turkey on it.
Speaker 4 (41:14):
But it is weird, like you know, that first cold front
in september.
Like you know, likemid-september, that first cold
front, it does like it doessomething.
You know what I mean.
Like I'm like all right, Igotta, I gotta get up in a
climber, and you know what Imean with the bow in my hand but
it doesn't last, that's's athing.
It'll be like October afterHalloween.
It's like all right, when arewe getting to the turkey issue?
(41:35):
We're so close.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
We pushed the envelope as far as we can go.
So what we'll do?
We'll have Frank wrap it up andwe'll schedule for you know,
frank can schedule for anothertime.
I think we've got enough.
Not quite in our usual hourhour 15, um, but I think we
we've got enough.
(41:58):
What that I can work with, uh,and then what we'll do is, when
deer season comes around, we'llschedule a day.
Maybe, if it's a day that we'reall off, maybe we do it early,
earlier in the day, or somethinglike that.
Um, yeah, I mean, hopefullythis should never happen again.
You know what I mean.
Um, so, but listen, it was agreat conversation.
(42:23):
So I mean I, I had fun, evenwith the stops and starts, like
I yep, oh, absolutely, man.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
I appreciate you guys asking me and having me.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
Man, I really do yeah , I appreciate you coming on the
show man why don't you give aofficial wrap up?
And then yeah all right.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
Hey, mike, we appreciate you coming on the
show.
Everybody go check out bike.
He's a new jersey wood lender.
We appreciate the turkey andthe the trout talk.
Unfortunately we're having sometechnical difficulties.
It's not our fault, but uh, wehope everybody enjoyed it.
Hope everybody enjoyed thisepisode and we'll see you guys
next time.
Hey, what's going on everybody?
Frank Mastica from the GardenState Outdoorsman Podcast.
I just wanted to hop on herereal quick and apologize, but
due to technical difficulties wehad to cut the podcast short.
With Mike Testa from NJWoodlander on Instagram, we look
forward to having him back onagain, but for now we hope you
guys enjoy this episode andwe'll see you guys next time.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Welcome back to the Garden State Outdoorsman Podcast
presented by Boone DucksHunting.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
That's why your tagline, my JCL known perfect.
You don't know what thatmountain's going to bring.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
You don't know what that mountain's going to bring I
accidentally drifted my canoebetween a sow and a cub and she,
like charged and like hit, likethe back of the canoe.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
His head hit the ground before his ass did.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Begging, begging and crying.
To go with my grandfather, gowith my father on these deer
drives.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
You know, the last trip over I shot a great cape
buffalo with my bow, chargingthrough the grass, and then the
whooping and then you hear abody drop.
Welcome everybody to the GardenState Outdoorsman Podcast.
I'm your host, Frank Mestica.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I'm your co-host, Mike Nightrang.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
And ladies and gentlemen, today we got a very
special guest.
He goes by New JerseyWoodlander on Instagram, mr Mike
Testa testa.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
mike, welcome to the show thank you guys for having
me man.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I really appreciate it, really appreciate it very
much no, we appreciate youhaving you on so, mike, why
don't you just give us a a quickbreakdown of, um, you know,
just a little background onyourself, like it could be
family, whatever, whatever,wherever you want to start,
absolutely man.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
So I am uh 46.
I lived in New Jersey my wholelife, hunted fish in New Jersey
my whole life.
Um, from Northern, I'm fromNorth Jersey originally, but I
live in uh, central Southern NewJersey Now.
Um, I work in agriculture and,you know, just literally tore up
with turkeys and I love totrout fish, shed, hunt, all that
type of stuff, man.
(02:03):
So so just just love being inthe outdoors, Jim, and yeah, no,
that's definitely awesome.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah so, mike.
So I was just going to ask youreal quick about um.
So you say you're intoagriculture.
For people who, like, don'treally know too much about it,
can you like dive in a littlebit more about it?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
absolutely, yeah, yeah.
So I'm really lucky.
I get to travel, uh from sussexcounty to cape may county
pretty much every week.
I'm in the field all the timeum.
I work um pretty much on farms,helping farmers uh, being able
to sell their produce to a lotof the bigger grocery stores in
the state of new jersey.
So your wagmans, your weightferns, all that kind of stuff,
(02:45):
so it's really cool.
Also Also helps me to you know,see a lot of wildlife, know
where a lot of stuff is going onin the state.
You know, one morning I could beup in High Point, and you know,
on a Monday morning and then onTuesday morning I might be down
in Cape May County.
So you know, literally all overthe state.
So it's it's a pretty cool job,there's no doubt about that
whatsoever.
Wow, yeah, I think I might be alittle jealous yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
You know you get to work and scout.
Yeah, get to work and scout allat the same time.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Love it.
Like I said, I'm hyping it up alittle bit, but I got.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I am very lucky, there's no doubt about that.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
All right, we'll take it.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yep, yep that's exactly right, man.
Awesome, awesome.
So you must be getting excitedfor turkey season coming up.
What's your plans for that?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
100%.
So I got a B week and C weektag down here in the south.
And then for a week I'm goingto a turkey camp in Pennsylvania
.
So I'll be out in Pennsylvaniafor the opener and then work
that BNC weekend with work andall that kind of stuff.
So, super, super pumped up aboutthat.
Absolutely I was gonna.
(03:57):
My plan was also to head downto Maryland but I just think you
know, with family and all thatkind of stuff, I don't think
that's going to work this year.
But definitely, definitelyhunting those two states Jersey
and I go to Pennsylvania everyyear.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Wow, that's awesome.
Now do you got private land inPennsylvania or you hunt state
land, so in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
We hunt both private and public.
Primarily public, but we dohave permission to get on some
ground and where we hunt at,which is really pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
No, that's really cool.
I've never hunted PA forbasically turkey or really deer
lately, but I used to go outthere a lot and hunt doves a lot
when.
I was a kid with my family.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Absolutely yeah, yeah yeah.
At Delaware to hunt doves iscrazy, right?
So kid with my family,absolutely, yeah, yeah, yeah
that Delaware to hunt doves iscrazy, right?
So it's got to go yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Oh, we used to have a blast, I think I.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I used to go through like a hundred shells as a kid,
like nothing oh man, if youthink you're a good shot, hunt
doves, right, then you're likeoh my god yep 100 100 now plus
that season kind of kicks offyour year, you know, like the
september yeah you're like ohman, now we're, we're rocking
and rolling.
Now you know what I mean.
(05:11):
That's absolutely.
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
That's really cool no , that is really cool.
So I know um.
So you said that you got um.
You said cnd week for jersey uh, cnd, that's right yeah cnd all
right.
So what's your plans for jerseythen?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
because do you hunt land in jersey 100 public ground
in new jersey.
Yeah, I, I, I have.
All my hunting is on publicground in new jersey.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely 100.
So that's why I kind of youknow I'm one of those guys that
just has boots on the ground allthe time.
I love being in the woodsregardless.
So it's as you guys know, it'shas boots on the ground all the
time I love being in the woodsregardless.
So it's as you guys know, it's agrind on the public, especially
(05:48):
down here, because in theSouthern part of the state we
have a lot of birds on ourpublic ground, but everyone
knows it you know what I meanCause they're very, they're very
noticeable.
So you got to find, you got tofind those little niche spots
where you know that Mondaymorning when you go there,
there's not going to be seventrucks parked in the same
parking lot.
You know what I mean.
(06:09):
It's rough down here in theSouth Zones, like I said,
there's a lot of birds.
Our bird numbers are reallygood.
The past two years, last yeardown here we had a phenomenal
hatch.
So, there's lots and lots andlots of birds down here.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
But, like I said, I'm not the only one seeing them.
You know what I mean.
That's yep.
Quick question on on you knowyou're you're doing a cnd?
Is this like a?
Do you usually do later in theyear because of your work
schedule and everything likethat, or is this just a year
that you're you're deciding todo cnd?
Okay?
Speaker 4 (06:40):
that's exactly what I do, and and what I found is
that, um, as far where I hunt,the ground that I hunt, the
birds are way more.
They're still in those.
You know.
They're still tending birdsdown here, hens really late, I
don't know why, but they'rereally with hens.
So I give them that little bitof time to break up, get away
(07:02):
from those hens and and, uh, youknow, I, I, I seem to have more
luck there in that regards likethat, they're, uh, you know
that a week they're still reallyhenned up and you know, they're
just, they're just.
They got that one thing ontheir mind and they don't really
want to leave those hens.
You know what I mean.
They're if they're with hens,they're.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Kind of what's your strategy?
Going into a hunt like thatwhere you're hunting C&D?
Obviously it's going to be abit different than you know,
getting a chance to hunt thefirst week and opening day and
everything like that.
So these are going to bepressure birds on, you know,
public land.
So what's your strategy?
Going into a C&D week to startout?
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Yep, so I'm not an aggressive caller.
I like to try to find birds,try to roost birds the night
before, like Sunday night,before that Monday that I have
time allowed to hunt.
You know I'll hit a bunch ofspots but I'm not like a really
aggressive caller.
I like to kind of let the birdsdo what they're going to do
(08:01):
first when they come down offthe roost.
And you know I'll give them acouple, couple kiki's when
they're on the um, when they'reon the limb, just to let them
know that I'm in the area, likea hen's in the area, um, but I'm
not a very aggressive calleruntil they hit the ground.
Um, most of my spots, most ofthe public ground that I hunt
I'm not really hunting fieldbirds at all um, it's all like
bigger timber areas, um, so Ilike to find uh habitat breaks
(08:25):
in in habitat breaks in thosewoodlands, like I hunt the pine
barrens all the time which arepretty just monotonous, straight
pitch pine mixed with blackjackoak and in those spots I try to
.
You know, a lot of the birds arefound in specific areas of
those big woods and you got tokind of find where they are in
those breaks, those habitatbreaks um, and then just try to
(08:49):
really get yourself in aposition where you're going to
have open shots and they'regoing to be able to get to you.
That's also an issue where Ihunt.
A lot of the areas are so thickso you really gotta kind of
know where you're getting to getyourself a shot and get
yourself, you know, situatedwhere those birds can kind of
make it to you at the same time.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
You know yeah, no, I think that's a really cool
strategy actually, because Iknow, especially up um, up here
in northern jersey where I live,it's uh, a lot of guys rely
mostly on, like, the field edges.
Absolutely, you know, you youmight find one or two guys that
hunt, you know, like in thewoods, but mainly you, I mean
(09:29):
you'll drive by a field andyou'll just see decoys
everywhere absolutely, man.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Yes, yep, yep, absolutely.
Like I said, we have, uh, youknow, let's say I'm driving for
work, I might see, honestly,like like a couple weeks ago,
I'll probably see 40 to 50 birdsin like a two-hour span, and on
private, you know what I mean.
So you know how lots of fieldbirds down here, but, um, where
I hunt, like I said, where Ihunt, where I, where I have the
(09:55):
access to I'm only hunting, youknow, woodland birds definitely,
definitely woodland setups likethat, you know.
So, like I said, I'm not veryaggressive because a lot of
times those birds are bumped andharassed on that eight week
already.
You know what I mean right butthe cool thing is is a lot of
people really only hunt three orfour days you know what I mean
and they're like, oh my god, Ican't kill these birds, these
(10:17):
birds, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
They're doing whatever they're doing, you know
.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
So I kind of let everything almost settle down.
You know what I I mean.
And then you know, take my time, A lot of times I'll kill a
bird, like at the end of theweek.
You know what I mean.
Like once I can, once I can getin there and figure out what
they're actually doing.
You know what I mean.
That's like, like I said, I, I,a couple of my buddies, are the
running gun type of guys youknow what I mean and I'm just
(10:52):
it's.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
It's just what works for me and how I kind of learn
to hunt the birds.
You know what I mean?
Just I take a like a, a commonapproach to to try to figure
them out, right?
No, I, because that's theapproach I used last year.
I did a lot of running, gunningand, um, I wasn't that
successful with it but um, youknow it's yeah, exactly so.
I usually for me, especially forJersey, I'll just, I'll usually
just get like Y week.
I'll just do Saturdays only,you know, here for Jersey, and
(11:13):
then once New York state opensup, we have we have a farm up
there I'll go up there, I'll getlike with one of our other
buddies from the Boondockshunting crew and, uh, you know,
I'll just hunt with him if I'm,if I want to go outdoor in the
week, or you know, or on aSunday or whatever but I'll just
(11:37):
I mainly just focus on theSaturdays here.
Yeah, um, you know, and I meanreally, cause where I hunt it's
the refuge itself.
It's just it's hard becausethere's not a lot of.
You know, I drove it actuallythe other day and I saw like
maybe I saw one spot that waslike six or eight birds and
nothing else anywhere else.
(11:58):
It's just it's just soovergrown and there's the
habitat just not there for themabsolutely, man, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
There's no, no doubt about that.
I know, like you know, we lostour fall season.
Um, you know, they got rid ofthe fall season now, so we can't
hunt birds in the fall and I'mall for you know, if somebody
told me we can't hunt turkeysanymore, I'm I'm a person that's
for the resource 100.
You know what I mean.
Like if, if the biologist said,you know our numbers are so low
(12:28):
we have to have a three-yearperiod where we can't hunt birds
, I'm 100% not a peep out of it.
So I'm fortunate enough to beon a lot of good farms with a
lot of great habitat.
Some of the farmers that I getpermission to go on their
property for work are doing alot of work with a small game in
(12:49):
the southern part of the statefor northern boblets pretty much
that's what a lot of the lot ofthe farmers are getting on NRCS
money from the feds to do a lotof habitat improvements on
their marginal ground and stuff.
You know, and where they'redoing that, I mean the pulp
production, is amazing.
You know what I mean.
So, as you guys were saying,you know the public ground up
(13:11):
north, the public ground near mein the central and southern
part of the states, you know itleaves a lot, lot, lot to be
desired.
You know, and I'm very lucky tohunt in Pennsylvania where the
game commission in Pennsylvaniareally does tremendous,
tremendous amount of habitatwork on the properties and you
know you just have to cross theriver to see the difference in,
(13:33):
you know, habitat enhancement,habitat improvements, all those
types of things.
You know it's really it's it'sit's pretty stark.
You know what I mean.
Um, when you see producers inlike salem and cumberland,
county new jersey, that aredoing a lot of habitat work and
then they they have boughtpublic ground and you know all
the all the wildlife, all theendangered species, all that
(13:57):
kind of stuff is on theirproperty and the state ground is
, you know, pretty much justmulti-flora rows and lots of
invasive species and that kindof stuff.
You know what I mean.
It's, it's, you know prettymuch just multi-flora rows and
lots of invasive species andthat kind of stuff.
You know I mean, it's, it's,you know, you can.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
You can see it clear as day yeah, definitely go ahead
, mike and that's something thatI've definitely noticed and
like at least some of the thewma's up by us have been doing a
much better job at, at doingbut like it was getting so bad,
especially in west jersey, likeyou know, and you could see the
turkey numbers declining for formany reasons and you know, yeah
(14:30):
, they, they would probably bemore on public and every or
private and everything like that, but the habitat just wasn't
suitable for them and you haveso much stuff that's overgrown
and and um, non-native speciesof just you know, plant life
just growing, which isn't isn'thelping, and it's something that
we talked to um michaelchamberlain about last year and
(14:52):
he goes a big part is just, youknow, the the things that that
we do just are not good enoughfor the habitat and it is having
a huge effect on the turkeypump, not only just in New
Jersey, but just all over, allover the country.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
I'm just really, I really havemy fingers crossed that we have
a good, dryer spring again, likewe've had the past two years,
because it really, really,really helps with that pulp
production when we have those.
You know, like I guess in 2021,2022, we had those real cold,
long cold spells in the spring.
(15:29):
You know what I mean and itjust it just hammers those hens
when they're on their nest.
You know they just lose all thebroods and you can definitely
tell, you know.
You can tell when you have, youknow, two good hatches and you
have all those crazytwo-year-olds gobbling
everywhere and you know what Imean.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
They're fun yeah, definitely, and it's just like.
It's just so crazy how, likeyou know how everything works,
because, like I can, like when Iused to hunt the refuge, I can
go and sit literally you knowall deer season and see only
(16:08):
maybe like a handful of turkeysif I'm lucky, and then it's.
You know, here we are, you knowcome, you know springtime
you're, you're all amped up,you're waiting to hear that
gobble and just nothing.
It's just the woods are quiet,just dead.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
It's just like yeah, it's crazy and it's funny
because, uh, I vividly remembermy first sighting of wild
turkeys in New Jersey and it wasin 1990 and it was on a
wildlife management area inSussex County okay and you know,
from like 1990 to like 0102 Imean up there, man, it just blew
(16:44):
up.
The population was amazing.
You know what I mean.
Um, yeah and those numbers have.
You know, those numbers lasteda long time and obviously, like
I was saying before, you'regonna have bad hatches, you're
gonna have good hatches.
They're gonna fluctuate.
You know what I mean.
But, like you said, you can.
You can really see on thatlandscape when there aren't
birds there.
You know what I mean.
It's not like they're just notgobbling that morning.
(17:05):
You know, if you're runningtrail cameras, if you're on
there bow hunting in the fall,um, you're just not seeing those
winter flocks.
You know when they're flockingup in the winter.
You're going to know.
You're going to see the sign.
You're going to see all thescratching everywhere.
You know there's, you know, 12to 25 birds walking through.
You know I mean they.
They leave a mark whetheryou're hearing them or not.
You know and if you're notseeing them.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
They're not there, you know yep, no, couldn't say
better myself.
But do you have something, mike, you look like you want to say
something no, no, I will.
Okay, I thought I was going tointerrupt you no, not this time
all right, perfect.
So I was gonna ask so um, haveyou ever killed a turkey with a
(17:45):
bow before, or no?
Yeah, or do you prefer justshotgun?
Speaker 4 (17:49):
yeah, shotgun, yeah, yeah, yeah, 20 gauge, that's
what I, that's what I hunt with.
Yes, yep, yep.
And you know I started huntingwith a hand-me-down 870,
remington 870, you know justlike just what I had.
You know I don't come from ahunting family.
I started bow.
I actually started bow huntingfirst in 1990.
(18:09):
I just got an old Hoyt youthmodel from Sportsman Center in
Bordentown.
You know where so many of us got.
You know that first, uh, firsthunting weapon, I had a family
friend who saw that I was into,uh, nature and the outdoors and
you know, kind of took me underhis wing, was like you know,
you're, you're in the woods allthe time looking for snakes,
looking for turtles, all thattype of stuff.
(18:30):
And he was like you know, hesaw that I was interested in
what tails.
So he took me in, got the bowand everything and I actually
just like started hunting with abow.
Like, just sit on the ground,going to public ground hunting
with a bow.
You know, um, but I neverkilled a turkey with about no, I
have not, I have not.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
It's kind of kind of crazy I'm in the same boat, so
um.
So, what were you saying?
No, nothing.
Oh, I had my I was gonna.
I told you like I gotta stoplooking at you, mike.
(19:07):
I'm sorry, but all right.
So let's shift a little gearshere.
So have you been out troutseason yet?
How's your trout season going?
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Good man, really cool , really good.
I went to the Mentored YouthDay.
I take my daughter every yearto Mentored Youth Day.
I think this was year 11 for us.
Didn't catch anything, but it'sall about traditions.
You know we're very I'm reallyinto traditions like that, you
know, getting kids involved inthe outdoors and stuff.
And then I went to the openerin Pennsylvania and did really
(19:41):
good, did really good, caughtlike I caught six and a golden
rainbow, which was pretty cool.
That's awesome.
And you know Pennsylvaniastocks a good variety.
They still stock brookies, theystill stock browns, rainbows
and then the golden rainbows,which are really cool too.
And then last week I fished aspot near me in Jersey and did
(20:03):
pretty good there too also.
So it's definitely been a goodtrout season so far.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yeah, no, it sounds like a hell of a trout season.
I haven't even been out yet.
Sounds like a hell of a troutseason.
I haven't even been out yet.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
I like to uh for these three or four weeks before
my turkey season kicks off.
I love like I need something todo.
You know what I mean.
Like yeah, a hundred percent.
Like go do something.
So I'm like I get in the trout,I get the trout bug for, like,
you know like four or five weeks, you know what I mean, and then
it's just like burns out, thenI'm just all turkeys.
You know like four or fiveweeks, you know what I mean, and
then it's just like burns out,then I'm just all turkeys all
turkeys all the time.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yup, listen, a hundred percent.
That's why I've been dying toeven just just take the wife and
kid out, you know cause they'vebeen asking me.
I just haven't had the timecause it's always something
happening, you know so.
But I mean I've been, I've beenitching to get out there, but
I've never caught a golden troutbefore.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
They are super awesome.
That's a bucket list.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Yeah, it's definitely on my bucket list.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
They are cool, man.
You guys got to get yourPennsylvania license and head
across the river, without adoubt, because they stock very,
very, very nice fish too.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
The golden rainbows are usually their breeder stock,
so they're like three to fouryears old old and they're
getting them out of the hatchery, you know.
So they're a nice fish, yeah,yeah, they're awesome.
They're really cool.
That's nice.
I remember the first time whenI caught my first like hooker
winter fish.
You know, for uh, for jersey, Icaught my first trout.
He was only like nine inches,but when I saw a tag hanger man
(21:33):
I did like a back flip.
I was like, finally, I finallydid it.
And that was it.
Only happened to me once, heybut it happened once.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
That's all, that's all that counts.
Yeah, that's awesome though.
That's cool.
That's cool as heck.
Without a doubt, I love, um, Ialso love to fish for, uh,
native brook trout in like northcentral pennsylvania.
So we take a couple, we trips ayear to Sullivan County,
usually near the Loyal SockCreek.
So I love that too.
(22:00):
I would love it.
I mean, I love it, but I wouldlove it more if it was more
accessible.
You know what I mean.
But it's always, you know,living in southern New Jersey.
I don't have access to, youknow, native brook trout strange
, or anything like that.
But I do.
I do love catching nativebrookies and obviously wild
Browns too.
We get into them up there too,but I just just don't, you know,
(22:21):
just not, not, it's not closeenough to me to do it all the
time, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, we, we got them up here, all you know, on a
bunch of the streams andeverything like that, and a
Brown is still still on my, mylike that, and a brown is still
still on my my list of trout.
I've caught almost everythingexcept for the golden and and
the brown.
I've done native brooks and youknow stuff like that and I love
trout fishing.
I really do.
I just off.
You know.
You know frank, and I have beentalking.
You know a lot of us talk it.
(22:49):
We spent so much time gettingready for hunting season and you
know things like that and deerhunting and and just hunting
during during the year, thatfishing really has taken the
back seat because then it'sfamily time and you know we got
to do other stuff and you'reworking as much as you can so
you can get out in the woods tohunt and everything like that.
(23:09):
And it's a definitely a shameand you know I even I was even
tell Frank like I here in NewJersey, unfortunately, and you
know I even I was even tellfrank like I here in new jersey,
unfortunately.
You know, yes, a big part of isa lot of you know docking and
everything like that, but it'slike on that opening day in the
week, like the rain has justbeen awful.
I feel like the last couple ofyears where the water levels are
(23:29):
just like unbearable and it'sjust like I feel like like what
last year last year frank, andthe water was just so high and
rough, it's like ragingand you know this year I mean
it's it's rained a lot, ofcourse, the days off that you
know, the time that we we doit's nice out, we're all at work
and we we can't get out andeverything like that.
(23:51):
So you know, I I wish theweather would cooperate a little
bit better, especially duringthe early parts of trout season,
before turkey, you know, headsup.
But the cool thing also aboutturkey is, you know, I'm gonna
make sure I bring the pole andeverything like that and try to
get out and do some troutfishing right after turkey's
done 100 man, that's the 100%man.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
That there's no doubt about that, no doubt about that
, and I think it's kind of cool.
Like I said, growing up as akid, I always wanted to identify
things and know what things are.
You know, it's just kind of it'sjust kind of bled into that.
And then you realize like, waita minute, you know.
You start putting a and Btogether and realizing like okay
, these acorns, they like atthis time of the year, these red
(24:35):
oaks, they like at this time ofyear, these white oaks, they
like at this time of the year.
You know what I mean.
And it all that whole web kindof opens up, you know, opens
your eyes to like what's what'sreally going on in those natural
systems.
And and then you realize likeokay, well, you know, why am I
going to be able to find deer atthis time of the year here?
Why am I going to be able to,you know, find these shagbark
(24:56):
hickories and go try to huntsome twirls in this area?
You know what I mean, like,like you said, it all comes
together like that 100, 100.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
No doubt about that, which absolutely, and it
probably helps you with, uh,with your shed hunting too, I
would imagine yes, yep, yep,without a doubt.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
That man, yep, yep, without a doubt, you know?
Um, as far as my shed hunting,I'm just always looking for uh
bedding.
You know what I mean if I'm inthe bedding, I know at least I'm
in the right area.
You know, um, yeah, with shedhunting, you got to realize that
, like 90 of the woods you wantto get through you know what I
mean and you just hit thosespots where the sheds are.
(25:35):
You know, I mean, like, and I'vebeen shed hunting for a long
time and I didn't know that fora long time I would just, you
know, walk in the woods so slow.
Now I, now I can see the woodsand I know, like, okay, you know
I can, I can speed up in theseareas that I call dead zones.
And then, once you get in thoseshady areas where you know you
can see the bed and you can seethe feeding, you see a lot more
(25:55):
signs.
Um, you know, okay, now I gotta, now I gotta take it easy and
slow down and really, you know,start focusing on, depending on
if I'm in new jersey, what typeof habitat I look for the sheds
in new jersey or if I'm inpennsylvania, what type of
habitat, um, that I try to keyin and focus on in Pennsylvania.
But it all comes together withknowing what species you're
(26:21):
looking for and what isproviding food at different
times of the year.
You know what I mean, like yousaid, it all, it all comes
together without a doubt,without a doubt.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Yeah, that's something I want to do.
To grow as an outdoorsman is,you know, kind of know, just
learn everything about the landand you know just when things,
you know when certain food isgoing to be available, you know
what's best for.
You know from right now, fromsummer, you know that, early
spring to summertime to fall towinter, and you know what.
(26:50):
Obviously everyone knows acornsand things like that and you
know what.
Obviously everyone knows acornsand things like that.
But there's just so much moreout there that probably there's
things that we probably don'teven really know.
You know, I mean, I, animals,just like they're, just, they're
so equipped at survival and youknow, obviously as humans we've
lost a lot of touch with thatjust because now we get the
(27:12):
sleeping homes, ac, heat, youknow, and every it is different,
you know, now for us, but everyday is a survival for them.
You know, and these creatures,they, they, they just know.
You know, and when it's thattime of the year, you know we'll
keep it simple with acorns.
It's like you know where youneed to be as a hunter If you,
(27:38):
you know acorns are dropping.
You know you got to find thathot sign and everything like
that, and it's like something Iwant to know is be able to be
out in the woods and spotsomething like okay, this is
what I'm looking at, this isgoing to help me, you know, come
, you know, you know, maybelater in the year, maybe, you
know, whatever the case is, whenthe food dwindles, you know,
maybe this is something thatthey're going to come back to,
you know, in winter andsomething like that.
(27:59):
And that's something I reallywant to get get better at as a
as outdoorsman.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
Absolutely man, absolutely Like.
I like I always tell you know,I work with a couple of young
guys who are just kind ofgetting into hunting and stuff
like that and uh, I kind of feellike, with um, social media now
there's like so much pressureon a lot of people to like kill
a giant buck right away or killa turkey right away, or numbers
(28:24):
of turkeys.
You know, and I try to tell them.
You know like it could be yearsbefore you shoot your first
buck, it could be years beforeyou take your first turkey.
And don't let any of that.
You know, get in the woods andlearn all the stuff that we're
talking about right now first,because all those things will
then happen and it'll all clickand it'll all open up in front
of your eyes.
You'll you'll start puttingthose pieces together.
(28:44):
You know what I mean, but youknow it's not about.
You know going out there forthree sits and you know shooting
a 138 buck in new jersey.
You know what I mean, like, butI think a lot of people's mind
that's like what you're supposedto do, that's, it's just
supposed to click and it'ssupposed to happen.
You know what I mean becausethey're scrolling all day
looking at big bucks from iowa.
You know what I mean and it'slike it's just.
(29:06):
You know, it's just not.
You know that's not not whatyou're working with.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Yep, yep no, I mean especially with jersey being
like such a big baiting state.
Yes, itself it's, you knoweverybody.
Just, I think a lot of peoplerely on that too, you know so
100 it's like they're like whyam I going to go do all that or
(29:29):
put in that all that effort?
I could just throw a ladderstand, throw some corn or
whatever I have apples and letthem come to me that a lot of
people look at it that wayabsolutely man 100, and you know
, to each their own.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
You know what I mean, like yeah I'm one of those guys
that's like if, if, it's legalin that state and that's what
you want to do.
God bless you.
You know what I mean.
I might not be into it, but whoam I, you know what I mean.
Like yeah you can.
You know what I mean.
I might not be into it, but whoam I, you know what I mean.
Like, yeah, you can you know,do, do whatever you're going to
do, and I'm going to do whateverI'm going to do, you know.
(30:05):
But, but, as we were sayingonce, you know, for myself, at
least it's, it's more fulfillingto it's grouse, whatever that
is.
It's kind of like, you know,when you put that together, you
really can you know you could bedropped off anywhere in the
woods and put that together inlike four or five days and and
be in the game.
At least you know what I mean.
(30:26):
Yeah, which which, like I said,from, just for me, just
personally, that's a lot morefulfilling than, you know, just
sitting over a pile of corn.
But, like, like I said, if it'slegal, it's awesome.
You know, if it's legal and theperson's happy, that's really
all that it's about, you know.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Facts Yep, definitely facts.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
No, I agree, Definitely Go ahead, mike.
What?
Speaker 2 (30:49):
were you going to say you know I want to.
Let's get to like maybe one ortwo more turkey Questions.
We never know how much time wehave Before it's going to cut
out on us.
Frankie, you Got one more forthe turkey talk uh, let me think
you you start.
(31:10):
First let me think I'll go um,you know for you, you know you,
you've been hunting, now, birdsfor for a while.
Now you know what is the onekey advice you would give to you
know, maybe a a new turkeyhunter that, uh, you wish you
had, uh the knowledge when you,when you first got into it oh,
that's an easy one.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
That's the patience.
Like I was talking about man,because I literally, you know,
can't, can't tell you how manybirds I messed up through the
years.
You know what I mean.
So it would literally just bejust patience and and kind of
let the bird tell you what it'skind of doing first and then
make your move on that bird.
You know what I mean.
Just just give them a chance todo what they're going to do for
(31:53):
a second before you.
You know, before you over call,before you move too close to
the roost, before you, you know,if you're going in the dark,
like I said, I've done it amillion times, getting too close
to that bird and bumping it, oryou know thinking, okay, this
is the only thing it's going todo, it's's going to land.
You know, I set myself up towhere there's an opening and
it's going to.
You know, pitch off that roostand come and drop 40, you know
(32:15):
40, 45 yards in front of me andit's going to be over.
You know, just have patience.
That's really, that's reallythe main, the main thing.
You know.
Yeah, I agree.
Oh, I'm sorry.
No, no, go ahead.
I would also say spend time inthe woods.
That's, that's.
That's also really, really thenumber one thing.
You know, make you know, knowwhere birds are, get yourself
(32:38):
situated where you you know to,to put yourself in the best
situation.
You know what I mean.
That's it.
Just put, put your time and bein the woods.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Yeah, no, like I.
I couldn't have said it bettermyself, because I think one of
the things I'm guilty of is Ilove hearing the birds gobble.
So I'll you know, it's like oneof those things where, like you
know, you hear them.
You hear them gobbling youright away.
Like you know, my firstinstinct is to want to call back
to them.
Right, and I mean it sounds andit'll look good for the camera,
(33:10):
it'll sound good for the camera, it'll sound good for the
camera.
But I think a lot of people getcaught up and just hearing him
gobble myself included, and Imean I've, I've blew it a couple
times doing that and then I'mlike shit, like I should have
been more quiet, I should havewaited.
You think about it after thefact, you know, but your heart's
going, you're all pumped.
You know you hear them, andit's just.
(33:31):
You know that that's turkeyhunting, though you know.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
That's a hundred percent, man.
Like I said, I start listeningfor birds in February and that
first bird, I hear in themorning man, like the first bird
I'll hear.
It might be like February 28thand I hear one on the limb and I
literally start shaking and I'mlike, oh my God, you got to
calm down, so I 100% understandwhat you're saying and, like I
said, I've done it a thousandtimes exactly what you're
(33:56):
talking about.
Just trying to sneak, you know,trying to be too aggressive,
push in too close, call too much.
I've done it, definitely 100%,but that you know.
Just just, I guess, messing upenough, I learned to be like,
okay, don't, don't, don't dothat.
You know what I mean?
That's it.
That's it.
That's the name of the game.
But yeah, no you gotta mess upto get it right.
(34:17):
You know what I mean.
That that's pretty much what itis, you know oh, 100.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Now.
Do you prefer hunting byyourself or with somebody else,
so like I primarily hunt bymyself.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Yes, yep, if I do.
Like I said, when I go topennsylvania, we kind of have a
little camp, we have a little,uh, a crew that goes there, but
I I primarily hunt by myself.
Um, for, honestly, foreverything, I have um a good
friend that I that that I bowhunt white tails with, but we we
hunt like in the same generalarea, but you know we might
drive in and and he drops me offand he goes a mile away.
You know what I mean.
Like, like something like that.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
You know we might drive in and and he drops me off
and he goes a mile away, youknow what I mean like, like,
something like that.
Speaker 4 (34:52):
You know what I mean, but primarily I do hunt by
myself.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
Yes, yep yeah, I think I I'm in the same boat
there, but you know, I mean itis fun, you know, because I'll
go with one of our guys uh, youknow, outdoors and more squats
me, me and him will go and I'llusually have him do all the
calling.
So all I gotta do is worryabout shooting, you know.
So it, you know it's each zoneit could benefit you, but you
(35:15):
know, it's one of those thingswhere you're like, you know, you
know turkeys are smart, theygot that eyesight.
And you know it's one of thosewhere you're like oh, you know
well, cause, like I can't waitto take my son out, but I'm so
scared of like him moving orsomething you know, and because
I want him to get the fullexperience.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
So absolutely, man, absolutely.
I uh.
A good friend of mine, his uhbrother-in-law, just got into
hunting and uh took his test andhe pulled his first turkey tag
for new jersey, uh, this year.
So I'm super excited I am goingto hunt with people this year
for the first time.
He got one of the Y tags.
(35:55):
So we're going two Saturdaysfrom now and I'm just going to
be calling no gun, no nothing,and I'm actually so excited
about that.
You know, just to almost relivesome of those first memories.
You know what I mean.
Like I'm really excited aboutthat, to just be sitting back
there calling helping of thosefirst memories.
(36:17):
You know what I mean.
Like I'm really excited aboutthat, to just be sitting back
there calling helping out, doinganything that I can to try to.
You know you.
You know I say try to get, tryto get him his first bird, but
it's so much more than that.
You know what I mean.
Just he's literally like like ababy in the woods.
He is right now.
You know what I mean.
So he's gonna hear his firstcall, you know, first morning
when you're waking up, when whenthe woods are coming alive and
whippoorwills are calling andall that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
You know he's gonna, he's gonna experience all that
and I'm super excited, superexcited for that yeah, it also
puts a lot of pressure on youtoo, though a lot of people
don't realize, because you know,you want to get them their
first bird or whatever you know,and it just you put that extra
stress on yourself and you knowTurkey hunt at all.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
So he's texting me where are the birds at?
You got them all shut up andI'm like dude, I'm trying, I'm
trying.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
Cause you almost don't want to let them down, and
it's like yeah, 100%, man.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
I'm more nervous about those hunts than you know
than my own, than my own spotsor anything like that you know,
Yep, because at least if youblow it, nobody's there watching
too.
Oh, and I've blown it a milliontimes, so it's just like yeah,
just another one.
That's exactly right, man.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
That's a hundred times.
Yeah, I've done that before toomany times.
Haven't we all yeah, you gotanother question.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
Mike, or you want to end it there, you want to keep
going.
It's up to you.
Um, you know what?
Okay, listen, if we, if we gotthe opportunity, we'll, we'll go
one more um you know whenyou're, you know when you're,
you're after when you.
When does your prep really startfor turkey season?
So I like, obviously you know alot of people do multi like,
hey, during deer season I'mstill looking at at turkey time,
(37:56):
but do you the minute deerseason's over, or is that what
you think about is birds, birds,birds.
Um, you know, are you goingright or are you waiting a
little bit, maybe waiting forfor winter to die down?
The snow?
Well, at least you know thesnow's up here for the most part
.
But, like, when is your yourfocus to turkeys kind of
(38:16):
shifting, you know?
And when are you going to start?
You know, going to watch thebirds in the morning and maybe
in the evening and things likethat.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
Yeah, I'm bad I am.
I got birds, Literally.
You can you know my wife, my,daughter.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
They're like okay, we know there's turkeys there.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
You know what I mean.
It's all the time I'm one ofthose guys that's like you know,
in September earn a buck.
You know what I mean.
Like I'm literally looking forflocks and looking for sign and
all that kind of stuff.
It's kind of a year-round deal,but definitely, like,
mid-february is when the switchis flipped.
You know, I do hunt fall.
(38:54):
I hunt fall birds in New Jerseyand I do hunt fall birds in
Pennsylvania too.
Obviously, our season in NewJersey was the, you know, was
whittled down to the four days.
So you know, I would just tryto get out on that Saturday of
the season and, you know, chasebirds in the fall.
That time too, I really enjoy.
(39:17):
I really enjoy fall huntingalso.
Uh, fall hunting, turkeys.
Only because it's so differentthan the spring.
You know you're, you're you'redealing with larger flocks of
birds.
You're trying to break thatflock up, scatter them and call
them back to you, um, so it'sjust kind of like a different,
you know different strategy.
You don't to, you don't have toroost them, you don't have to.
It's a lot more low pressure.
You know turkey hunting and Ireally enjoy that.
(39:37):
So that's why it's not really atime when I when I'm not
thinking about turkeys, you know.
Speaker 3 (39:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Do you find a?
Speaker 3 (39:44):
lot of success in the fall.
Speaker 4 (39:47):
What's that?
Speaker 3 (39:52):
So do you find a lot of success?
Speaker 4 (39:53):
in the fall compared to in the springtime when you
can call them in.
I do yes, yeah, yeah, they're,they're um.
You know when they're in thatflock and you break the flock up
, they are.
You know they're programmed toget back together to find um, to
find food together, to roosttogether, to uh watch out for
predators together.
You know there are any umfeelings at that time is we have
to be together.
We got to predators together.
You know that there are anyfeelings at that time is we have
to be together.
(40:13):
We got to be together.
You know what I mean.
So you can really.
They're really receptive tocalling and they're very, very,
very.
A lot of people don't realize it, but they're communicating
constantly in the fall.
Sometimes they're gobbling morein the fall.
On a fall morning sometimesI'll hear more gobbling than on
like a really low May.
You know we just don't have alot of gobbling in New Jersey.
(40:35):
You'll hear them communicatingon the roost and talking to each
other and making all kinds ofnoise, which for me that's
almost at the stage of the gameright now.
I love just hearing the birdscommunicate and seeing their
habitat, seeing how they comeoff the roost, then killing a
bird, you know what I mean.
That's just.
That's just where I am like.
You know what I mean.
(40:56):
So in the fall, you really cansee that a lot.
You know what I mean yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
Now, if you could pick one deer hunting or turkey
hunting, what would it be?
Uh, turkeys all the time.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
Yeah, I kind of yeah I got it for after I figured you
were a big turkey on it.
Speaker 4 (41:14):
But it is weird, like you know, that first cold front
in september.
Like you know, likemid-september, that first cold
front, it does like it doessomething.
You know what I mean.
Like I'm like all right, Igotta, I gotta get up in a
climber, and you know what Imean with the bow in my hand but
it doesn't last, that's's athing.
It'll be like October afterHalloween.
It's like all right, when arewe getting to the turkey issue?
(41:35):
We're so close.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
We pushed the envelope as far as we can go.
So what we'll do?
We'll have Frank wrap it up andwe'll schedule for you know,
frank can schedule for anothertime.
I think we've got enough.
Not quite in our usual hourhour 15, um, but I think we
we've got enough.
(41:58):
What that I can work with, uh,and then what we'll do is, when
deer season comes around, we'llschedule a day.
Maybe, if it's a day that we'reall off, maybe we do it early,
earlier in the day, or somethinglike that.
Um, yeah, I mean, hopefullythis should never happen again.
You know what I mean.
Um, so, but listen, it was agreat conversation.
(42:23):
So I mean I, I had fun, evenwith the stops and starts, like
I yep, oh, absolutely, man.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
I appreciate you guys asking me and having me.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
Man, I really do yeah , I appreciate you coming on the
show man why don't you give aofficial wrap up?
And then yeah all right.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
Hey, mike, we appreciate you coming on the
show.
Everybody go check out bike.
He's a new jersey wood lender.
We appreciate the turkey andthe the trout talk.
Unfortunately we're having sometechnical difficulties.
It's not our fault, but uh, wehope everybody enjoyed it.
Hope everybody enjoyed thisepisode and we'll see you guys
next time.
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