WEBVTT 1 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:13.519 Welcome to the Bear Hunting Magazine Hunt Cast with me 2 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.879 Koby Moorehead. We're gonna nerd out on bears hunting and 3 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:21.239 the outdoors. We'll tell stories, talk biology, tactics, gear, and 4 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:23.879 the fight to protect the pursuits that we hold dear. 5 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:26.960 So grab your binos, lace up your boots, load up 6 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:29.679 your barrels, and gather the hounds we venture on this 7 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:42.159 journey together. Welcome to another episode of the Bear Hunting 8 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:46.759 Magazine Hunt Cast Man. We've been getting some news this week. 9 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:51.679 First off, Proposition one twenty seven, the ballot box initiative 10 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:56.479 up in Colorado has been squashed, so good job hunters. 11 00:00:57.039 --> 00:01:01.119 And then the presidential election went down this week and 12 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:04.480 we have a new president, so we can just look 13 00:01:04.519 --> 00:01:07.599 forward to the future and see what all plays out 14 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:12.159 from there. Today I'm joined by Doug Bows. Doug riots 15 00:01:12.200 --> 00:01:15.760 a column in every issue of Bear Hunting Magazine, and 16 00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:18.680 he's a wealth of information. Now his stomping grounds are 17 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:23.519 up in Washington State, so it doesn't translate to everywhere, 18 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:25.760 but there's a lot of things that are universal inside 19 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:29.760 of bear hunting. And today we're talking about what you 20 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:33.239 bring and what you'll find is half of the conversation. 21 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:35.400 We're talking about the things you bring that are not 22 00:01:35.560 --> 00:01:39.959 gear related, and it is universal to all of the 23 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:42.799 pursuits of bear. And then we'll dive into a little 24 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:45.400 gear and it's going to be leaning a little more 25 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:50.760 towards what Doug does, but I bring up things concerning 26 00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:52.879 what you would do a little bit more in the south. Now, 27 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:56.680 this isn't a deep gear dive. We'll do that stuff 28 00:01:56.840 --> 00:01:59.239 at a later point, but this is just kind of 29 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:03.040 like a general thing. And ultimately the goal of this 30 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:06.719 particular episode is just to encourage you to figure out 31 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:10.120 what you like, what works for you, and to understand 32 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:12.400 that the most important thing you bring with you is 33 00:02:12.439 --> 00:02:15.439 inside of you. This is meant to make it to 34 00:02:15.560 --> 00:02:17.840 where it's a little bit easier for you to get 35 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:21.439 in the outdoors, especially if you're starting out. Share with 36 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:26.000 the buddy that's interested, and let's get into it. 37 00:02:31.159 --> 00:02:33.680 Hey Doug, Hey Golby, how are you, sir? Thanks for 38 00:02:33.719 --> 00:02:34.199 having me on. 39 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:37.400 Yeah, I'm doing good. We're in the thick of waitetail 40 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:38.120 season here. 41 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:41.879 Well I'm jealous. Our dear season ended well a week 42 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:44.800 or two ago, and so now the special draw people 43 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:46.360 will get to go out and hunt a little bit, 44 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:49.560 but my dear, season's pretty much done with. 45 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:53.080 So you're actually you're in Washington state, right. 46 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:57.080 Yeah, don't hate me. I'm in Washington. I'm sixty miles 47 00:02:57.120 --> 00:02:59.639 north of Seattle. So when people ask me where I live, 48 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:03.159 I say the Seattle area, But in reality, I live 49 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:04.719 in a little town that's got a bar and a 50 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:08.840 post office, and so I'm pretty backwoods when it comes 51 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:09.120 to that. 52 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:13.400 Yeah, you know, I've fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest, 53 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:16.599 and I've been there two or three times in the 54 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:20.360 last year and a half, and I just I love 55 00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:23.719 it out there, and it's so vast, it's so rule 56 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:26.800 and if you just thought of it from you know, 57 00:03:26.840 --> 00:03:29.680 what you see on the news or whatever, you would 58 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:32.960 think it was just like cities everywhere. But it's it's 59 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:37.879 not really the case. It's a beautiful and sometimes treacherous place. 60 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:43.039 It can't be. I think the North Cascades National Park 61 00:03:43.159 --> 00:03:47.199 is leads the country for people who go missing or 62 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:50.039 people who have died in it, So it's a dangerous park. 63 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:53.639 Yeah, how many sasquatch sidings? 64 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:58.039 I get one every time I look in the mirror, Ashley. 65 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:03.479 I like it, but no like out in the West, 66 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:07.680 there's a lot of draws. There's a lot of things 67 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:11.439 you have to put in for years and build up points. 68 00:04:11.479 --> 00:04:13.639 Some of them are pure lottery systems to where it's 69 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:15.800 just luck of the draw every time, where everybody has 70 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:22.920 equal opportunity at drawing something. And the one exception to 71 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:25.439 a lot of those draws are actually bears. There's a 72 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:29.160 lot of these Western states to where you can get 73 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:32.959 a bear tag over the counter, And that's one of 74 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:35.000 the reasons bears are just so special because they can 75 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:37.079 get you into places where you might have to wait 76 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:40.800 a really long time to get into a particular unit 77 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:44.920 or area to hunt anything else. I really love that 78 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:48.079 about bears, that there's just so much I mean, you 79 00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:52.240 can just go hunt most anywhere with the bear tag. 80 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:55.120 That's what I love about bear too. Like in Washington 81 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:59.040 currently it's August first till November fifteenth, that's our bear season. 82 00:04:59.079 --> 00:05:01.079 And so even though like deer and elk is over 83 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:03.839 for me, I still got till I got another what 84 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:05.839 ten days of bear season, and I'm gonna go out 85 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:07.959 and in the next couple of days and give it 86 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:12.160 a shot. But yeah, I mean, it's a great time. 87 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:15.160 You can you can start early, and you almost finish 88 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:16.959 out the year with it. So it's it's a lot 89 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:20.800 of fun. It's it's different, it's different experience, and it 90 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:22.160 keeps you out in the woods longer. 91 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:25.600 So yeah, the thing we're gonna mainly deal with today 92 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.439 is we're gonna be talking about things that we need. 93 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:32.759 This is a part where I feel like people really 94 00:05:34.279 --> 00:05:37.319 start to get snagged up and start to feel overwhelmed. 95 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:43.519 And so before we dive into other episodes where we 96 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:47.959 talk about tactics of actually hunting a bear, finding a bear, 97 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:52.040 you know, just different tips and tactics, we're gonna start 98 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:55.920 out with the actual gear because that's a lot of 99 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:58.600 the pre work that you have to put in. It's 100 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:01.279 just good to be prepared and not to feel overwhelmed 101 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:02.959 before you even get started, you know. 102 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:04.800 So uh. 103 00:06:06.279 --> 00:06:09.839 Yeah, and here you I want. One of the things 104 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:13.560 I wanted to say is like, before you get into 105 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:17.839 actually like physical things, I call them real number ones 106 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:20.399 on a kind of a list that I wrote down, 107 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:24.000 one was having like really good friends or a mentor 108 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:27.600 to go out there and bear hunter get into hunting. 109 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:30.000 I think the greatest thing you can have, and I 110 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:32.160 think this is universal for all things is just a 111 00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:36.800 good attitude and just good positive mental attitude whenever you're 112 00:06:36.839 --> 00:06:39.279 going out there or even thinking about going out there. 113 00:06:39.639 --> 00:06:43.680 Because it's a boy, you get whooped with a frustration 114 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:44.600 stick real quick. 115 00:06:45.959 --> 00:06:50.759 Yeah, there's a lot of non tangible needs in hunting 116 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:56.720 in general, like abilities that you need, so perseverance, patience, determination, 117 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:02.759 a strong mental ability, strong physical ability. You know, if 118 00:07:02.759 --> 00:07:05.439 we could go on that's that's a whole episode in itself, really, 119 00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:08.680 but I agree with you, like you gotta have you 120 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:10.480 gotta have patience and if you don't have a good 121 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:14.759 mentor kicking back to what you said earlier, that's half 122 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:16.519 the reason that wrote my book The Ultimate Guide to 123 00:07:16.519 --> 00:07:19.680 Black Bear Hunting is so if you're an adult on 124 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:23.120 set hunter or somebody who's never hunted bear and stuff 125 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:25.639 like that, you can check that out and that will 126 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:29.160 give you an edge, that will that will calm down 127 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:31.240 that learning curve that kicks a lot of people in 128 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:35.000 the butt for several years. Yeah, if you burn through 129 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:35.439 that book. 130 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:39.800 So, and one thing that I find whenever I'm talking 131 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:43.040 to people that are just getting into hunting, like it's 132 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:46.240 not about the tips or the tactics, Like it's not 133 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:48.319 about how to find this or find that or when 134 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:51.839 to go. I think the most beneficial thing that I 135 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:54.920 tell them is just like don't get frustrated, Like you 136 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:57.480 got to celebrate the fact that you saw something or 137 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:00.600 that you found sign or that you you know, say 138 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:03.519 they make a bad shot where they just totally miss 139 00:08:03.639 --> 00:08:06.639 the animal they're shooting at. It's like, how was it 140 00:08:06.839 --> 00:08:09.879 you got on one? Like you had the opportunity, Like, yeah, 141 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:13.959 you missed, but how was it? You know, Yeah, whether 142 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:16.959 you're the mentor of the mentee. I think that's something 143 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:20.360 to really remember, is like you have to you really 144 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:24.600 have to celebrate the wins, Like find every win to 145 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:27.800 celebrate because that gives you the momentum. And it also 146 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:32.879 like builds a really strong, you know, mental game, And 147 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:35.919 if you don't have a strong mental game, then it's 148 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:38.639 just not gonna make it, you know, or. 149 00:08:38.600 --> 00:08:41.720 Degree and then you know that's something in life, so 150 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:44.399 you know, you need to have a strong mental game 151 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:47.679 to be successful. And then once you're successful, you need 152 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:51.039 to have that strong mental game to get that animal out. 153 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:53.399 You know, if you if you give up in life 154 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:56.720 or give up on things when things get hard, that 155 00:08:56.759 --> 00:08:59.159 ain't gonna help you. I mean, cause it can be 156 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:02.799 a ground and getting these things out, dear Elk, whatever 157 00:09:02.840 --> 00:09:05.480 it may be, and you just gotta you gotta toughen 158 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:10.679 it out. Yeah, and along what you said, you know, 159 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:14.639 I have to remind myself sometimes to just enjoy the moment. Right, 160 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:17.120 Sometimes something's coming in or something you want to get 161 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:20.000 it on camera or whatever or on you know, on 162 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:23.000 your phone, and and I'll stop myself and be like, 163 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:26.960 just enjoy this, Like you don't have to capture everything 164 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:30.519 and post everything and compete with other people. Just take 165 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:32.679 the time to enjoy the moment that has been given 166 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:35.159 to you. I think that's really important that people stop 167 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:35.559 and do that. 168 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:40.440 Yeah, this year, I haven't really been trying to film 169 00:09:40.679 --> 00:09:44.080 or record much. I've just really am working on becoming 170 00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:47.080 a better woodsman or just seeing what I can learn 171 00:09:47.399 --> 00:09:51.759 and getting rid of some of the distractions. Because one 172 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:55.279 of the biggest things that goes against us is comparing 173 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:58.080 ourselves or letting ourselves be shaped by what we see 174 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:02.399 portrayed to us on you know, whatever outlet, whether it 175 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:06.600 be social media or you know, some sort of show 176 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:11.960 we're watching. There's you can't put everything in something that 177 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:15.080 you do post work on. So there's no sense in 178 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:18.440 comparing yourself to say that, oh, this is my first 179 00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:20.720 time out, but I need to go for a mature animal. 180 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:21.039 You know. 181 00:10:21.159 --> 00:10:24.200 It's like you got to get some reps in at 182 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:27.480 some point, you know. And I'm not saying go out 183 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:31.320 there and go after a cub or something, but you know, 184 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:35.679 you need to go out there and just experience it, 185 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:40.399 and you need to experience success. And I don't think 186 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:43.200 that whenever you I mean, we don't expect kids to 187 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:47.279 be really selective whenever they're going out, you know, like 188 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:49.639 when you carry a kid out deer hunt, you're like, hey, 189 00:10:49.639 --> 00:10:50.840 there's a spike, shoot. 190 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:51.080 It, you know. 191 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:54.559 Yeah, And I think we need to do the same 192 00:10:54.600 --> 00:10:57.000 thing with people that are get trying to get into 193 00:10:57.080 --> 00:10:59.679 these things as adults, where it's like, you know, you 194 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:02.120 have a enough pressures trying to do something the first time. 195 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:06.120 Just find a win, celebrate a win, and don't worry about, 196 00:11:06.440 --> 00:11:08.600 you know, what other people are going to say or think. 197 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:13.639 And ultimately, like your first animal, you don't want to 198 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:15.759 be a big animal because that's a lot of work 199 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:18.960 all the way through. Like last year in Arkansas, I 200 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:22.039 killed a bear that we think was around five hundred pounds. 201 00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:25.200 And by the end of that night, when I got 202 00:11:25.240 --> 00:11:30.039 home in the single digits of the morning, I was like, 203 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:32.480 what am I doing with my life? Like I was, 204 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:38.440 I was beat up and whooped, you know. And anyways, 205 00:11:39.720 --> 00:11:41.240 don't bite off more than you can get you and 206 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:45.399 don't take on something that's like two way outside of 207 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:48.720 your reach or your experience. But anyways, we better jump 208 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:49.960 into this to this. 209 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:50.879 Yeah, we're going. 210 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:54.559 What was kind of the first thing you wrote down 211 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:55.600 on your list? 212 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:59.240 Okay, so I wrote down ten things, but the first 213 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:04.120 and foremost thing was like a quality weapon with quality 214 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:09.120 ammo or you know, broadheads, aeroshafts, that type of stuff, 215 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:11.440 and the skill to use it. So I know that. 216 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:14.600 I mean that goes for all hunting, right, but don't 217 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:17.320 give your don't get yourself a decent weapon and then 218 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:19.879 put in a crap bullet that's that's cheap and will 219 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:23.440 shatter upon hitting the animal like I have done that before. 220 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:26.360 I was like, oh this, you know, this box is 221 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:28.440 five dollars cheaper than the other box or whatever, and 222 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:30.759 I'm gonna do that. And then it shoots and it 223 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:34.320 blows apart and it doesn't retain its weight, and you 224 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:36.000 know it might wound the animal or something like that. 225 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:38.480 Take the time and the money and lots of times 226 00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:42.120 it's not much money or extra money to buy yourself 227 00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:44.639 a quality weapon and become familiar with it. You know, 228 00:12:44.759 --> 00:12:47.519 don't borrow your buddy's gun for the first time and 229 00:12:47.559 --> 00:12:49.759 then go out. Spend time to get to know your 230 00:12:49.799 --> 00:12:52.120 weapon or bow or whatever, you know, whatever your weapon 231 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:56.120 of choice is. And you know, like for me, when 232 00:12:56.120 --> 00:12:59.039 I'm hunting, it's it's almost muscle memory, like if it's 233 00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:01.720 time to shoot or something that I don't think about safety, 234 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:05.240 the safety on the gun, I don't think about anything. 235 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:09.039 It's it's all muscle memory. It comes up, I click 236 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:10.840 the safety off, I find a spot. You know, the 237 00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:15.879 same thing with the bow. So quality, quality weapons and skill. 238 00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:19.960 It's it's funny I put that further down the list. 239 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:26.000 And for me, you know, we don't shoot far here 240 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:29.159 in the South. We just really don't like especially if 241 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:32.120 you're if you're hunting bears, they're typically in the You're 242 00:13:32.120 --> 00:13:35.279 not gonna be shooting them in the field here. Like 243 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:39.799 you you might have one hundred yards that you might 244 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:42.799 see a bear through the woods, and at that point 245 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:47.039 they're probably gonna look like just a shadow, and so 246 00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:49.799 we're not having to stretch out like in the West. 247 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:52.960 And so actually the first buck I ever killed, I 248 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:57.279 killed with the Mossburg five hundred day twelve gauge with 249 00:13:57.440 --> 00:14:02.120 number four buckshot had he had pellets, he up in 250 00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:04.879 his neck, broke his back leg like it was just 251 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:06.840 like cloud caught. 252 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:10.159 The first buck I ever killed was with a shotgun too, 253 00:14:10.200 --> 00:14:12.480 a buck shot, and it was it was a spike. 254 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:16.080 And it's similar over here in western Washington as well. 255 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:19.600 So like most of my shots are probably fifty yards 256 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:23.840 or less on bear, and sometimes a lot closer. I really, 257 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:27.000 I mean I could shoot farther obviously, but I even 258 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:29.320 in eastern Washington, where it's more arid, more open, I 259 00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:32.240 don't take three, four or five hundred yard shots. I 260 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:36.279 just don't. I like to get close. Even last year 261 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:38.919 when I got this white tail, I saw him from 262 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:41.240 like six hundred yards and I crept up to within 263 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:43.320 one hundred yards of them and then shot him just 264 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:46.200 because I like to get close. And so, yeah, you 265 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:47.799 and I are very similar in that respect. 266 00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:53.039 Yeah, I've gotten where I'll stretch it out more and 267 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:55.799 there's guys that's like nothing to him to take a 268 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:58.360 six hundred yard shot, you know, but that's what they 269 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:01.120 like to do. Yeah, and so you got to figure 270 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:05.960 out your method. But for me, you know, it doesn't 271 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:11.440 take a lot to specifically with a firearm to be 272 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:14.240 able to be proficient with it, especially at like one 273 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:18.600 hundred yards or like sub two hundred yards. One thing 274 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:21.279 I will say about gear when you're talking about a 275 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:24.519 rifle and scope and ammo, I think the AMMO is 276 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:29.039 the most important thing in the equation. And then also 277 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:33.200 I would say, make sure you don't get too powerful 278 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:36.960 of an optic, like you want to low powered scope 279 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:42.080 when you're in like a southern forested kind of area, 280 00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:44.720 like you want like a two to ten you know, 281 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:49.320 would be a good choice. And then but in the South, 282 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:53.120 your best opportunity is going to be more with archery. 283 00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:57.120 And so if you're not proficient with with a bow, 284 00:15:57.519 --> 00:15:59.759 a lot of times you can use a crossbow and 285 00:15:59.799 --> 00:16:02.639 that that really cuts the learning curve down, you know, 286 00:16:02.840 --> 00:16:07.320 So a lot of things can go wrong if you're 287 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:11.679 not willing to put in a lot of time shooting 288 00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:15.559 targets with a compound. So if you if you feel 289 00:16:15.559 --> 00:16:18.879 like you're somebody that's not diligent and feel like you're 290 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:21.279 not gonna get out there and put your reps in. Uh, 291 00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:24.720 you know, I would say crossbow would be the way 292 00:16:24.759 --> 00:16:30.759 to go. My number one was mapping software. I use 293 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:33.159 Onyx on every single thing that I do. 294 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:35.080 That was ten. 295 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:42.720 Well. So the reason I put that is I can 296 00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:46.480 go into an area I'm unfamiliar with and navigate it's 297 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:49.279 easy to get turned around. And I'm thinking about this 298 00:16:49.399 --> 00:16:53.919 from terms of somebody just getting into into hunting that 299 00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:58.480 doesn't have the wismanship, doesn't have like anything any history 300 00:16:58.519 --> 00:17:02.360 to lean on, probably what a boy scout but wants 301 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:05.599 to get out there and do it, And especially when 302 00:17:05.640 --> 00:17:07.759 you're in areas where there's a lot of public and 303 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:12.640 private merging, like we don't always have huge tracks in 304 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:17.599 the South for you know, public land, so you could 305 00:17:17.640 --> 00:17:21.519 easily get on somebody else's property and sometimes it looks 306 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:25.000 like a checkerboard. And so for me, like a mapping 307 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:26.319 software is really important. 308 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:32.519 Totally agree on X has has helped me, you know, enormously, 309 00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:35.480 and it's it's gotten our hunt cap hunt camp. A 310 00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:38.000 couple of deer like you go by and you don't 311 00:17:38.039 --> 00:17:40.079 realize that that piece of property is owned by the 312 00:17:40.119 --> 00:17:42.880 state or something and it is no one's hunting it. 313 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:44.839 We go in there and ended up getting a deer 314 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:47.279 and quick story on that. I actually went to our 315 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:50.119 jeweler in town the other day and a couple of 316 00:17:50.200 --> 00:17:52.319 years ago he was telling me a story. He was 317 00:17:52.359 --> 00:17:55.119 out hiking in this place called Paradise out out in 318 00:17:55.160 --> 00:17:58.400 the mountains Washington. He got turned around and he got lost. 319 00:17:58.440 --> 00:18:00.799 I think it was for like a day. It was. 320 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:03.519 I think it was overnight. He got way turned around, 321 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:06.599 but it was in it was in August. It was, 322 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:10.319 you know, cooler or decent weather. Long story short, he 323 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:12.160 got turned around, found his way out, but he was 324 00:18:12.200 --> 00:18:14.039 all tore up, beat up. He was an older guy. 325 00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:16.480 And I told him about on X and this this 326 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:18.400 last week when I went in there, and he said 327 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:20.359 he had bought that and been using it and he's 328 00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:22.400 he was like, man, this thing's a godsend. It's you know, 329 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:23.920 I wish it would have had it before. And how you 330 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:29.119 can save maps so when you're not online. Yeah, it's 331 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:30.200 a great tool. 332 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:35.839 Yeah. Another thing that just a little quick tip on 333 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:38.799 on X. If you're ever looking for an animal and 334 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:42.960 you're blood trailing or whatever, like, immediately start a new 335 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:45.319 track and you can see where you've walked and where 336 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:49.000 you've gritted, and you're not like, you know, going over 337 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.200 the same area over and over and over again. So 338 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:56.759 it works well, I'm told with when guys are going 339 00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:00.640 and looking for sheds as well to grid out an area. 340 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:04.799 Oh yeah, my number two. I really put a lot 341 00:19:04.839 --> 00:19:10.640 of thought into my boots. Specifically in a western hunt. 342 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:13.240 It doesn't matter as much to me here in the South. 343 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:16.799 There's not a lot of I mean, when you leave 344 00:19:16.839 --> 00:19:20.359 the road, I mean, if you just walk a couple miles, 345 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:26.240 you'll probably come to another another road. Like, it's just 346 00:19:26.359 --> 00:19:28.000 not as big of a deal. A lot of times 347 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:31.400 I'm torn between where my mountain boots and and my 348 00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:35.880 knee boots here where I'm at. But having the right 349 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:38.720 boot for whatever you're doing, Like, you got to take 350 00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:40.640 care of your feet, and I think that that's a 351 00:19:41.960 --> 00:19:45.920 really important thing whenever I'm thinking about where I'm going 352 00:19:46.039 --> 00:19:46.799 or what I'm going to do. 353 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:51.400 Yeah, you got to have you got to have healthy feet. Right. 354 00:19:51.400 --> 00:19:53.200 You don't realize how much you use your feet or 355 00:19:53.240 --> 00:19:56.359 your back until you hurt it, and then you're like, oh, 356 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:58.880 I use this all the freaking time, and it hurts. 357 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:03.119 Baldy Boots is definitely up there. My number two was 358 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:06.960 was a good knife or knife set and a sharpener 359 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:10.000 with and so my knife set, I have kind of 360 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.839 a heavier bladed knife. I have like a skinny knife, 361 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:14.720 and I actually have a filet knife, and I have 362 00:20:14.759 --> 00:20:17.920 a little sharpener that I bring. And specifically with Bear, 363 00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:22.279 I have noticed that their hide, for whatever reason, seems 364 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:25.359 to dull knives way faster than elk or deer. I 365 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:26.759 don't know why it is. I don't know if it's 366 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:28.759 just more coarse or the fat or what it is, 367 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:32.079 but it's important to have a sharpener, to take the 368 00:20:32.119 --> 00:20:34.960 time to take a rest, grab a drink of water, 369 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:38.039 sharpen those blades, and then continue on. I think that's 370 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:39.039 really important with Bear. 371 00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:43.559 Yeah, yeah, I mean we've done a lot with just 372 00:20:44.039 --> 00:20:49.119 simple have lines and so whenever you're thinking about your gear, 373 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:53.960 I had. I've got some friends in their role of 374 00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:56.640 thumb is whenever I buy a new tool that I've 375 00:20:56.680 --> 00:20:59.599 never used before, I'll go to Harbor Freight and just 376 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:02.759 buy cheap one, and if I use that enough to 377 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:04.720 wear it out, then I'll go get a different one, 378 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:07.480 you know, Like I'll give a nice name Brandwin And 379 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:10.160 I think that that's a good idea whenever you're coming 380 00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:15.279 into hunting, too, is like on X is kind of universal, 381 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:18.519 like you know, just get it, but maybe not get 382 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:21.319 the package for all the states. Just focus on the 383 00:21:21.319 --> 00:21:23.559 state that you're going to be hunting and get that 384 00:21:23.640 --> 00:21:27.920 package with boots. Get a pair of boots that fits you, like, 385 00:21:28.119 --> 00:21:31.000 fit your feet good. You know, it gives you good 386 00:21:31.079 --> 00:21:35.279 ankle support on the left and right roles. And but 387 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:37.440 you don't have to go and buy the five hundred 388 00:21:37.480 --> 00:21:40.680 dollars mountain boot. You know, you could go and find 389 00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:45.559 a decent hiking boot like I've I've hunted in like 390 00:21:45.640 --> 00:21:49.400 a pair of hiking boots some Solomon's I was actually 391 00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:53.880 in in Washington and the Cascades, and they worked. They 392 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:57.119 weren't as good as my my kinetrec said it I have, 393 00:21:57.319 --> 00:22:01.559 but they worked just fine. So you can always take breaks, 394 00:22:01.559 --> 00:22:04.200 but you know, you don't want to always break the bank, 395 00:22:04.359 --> 00:22:07.519 like go out there, use the stuff that you can afford, 396 00:22:07.799 --> 00:22:10.519 and just get out there and then start building up 397 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:13.240 your pack from there. So start cheap and work your 398 00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:15.400 way up into the things that you know, give yourself 399 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:19.319 time to to hone in your you know, your whole setup. 400 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:22.359 I would agree with that, Like I don't. I don't 401 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:24.599