00:00:00 Speaker 1: Hey guys, this is Spencer new Art with Weird Hunt. And this is the fourth week of our miniseries Radio and it is November eight, election day. So Mark and I are going to talk about politics for the next half hour. I'm perfect. Yeah, yeah, I'm just kidding. But Mark, I, I honestly don't know what state you're in right now. What's going on with you? Well, it is a little bit change up for me right now because instead of me being recorded this in my computer like usual with all the podcasts I do, I'm actually on a cell phone right now in my truck driving to Ohio. So yeah, changing, changing up. My scenery. Have been pounding at Heart in Michigan and it's finally time to check out a new spot. And so do we have a happy ending yet with holy Field? Uh? No, no happy ending yet. Um. I have been hunt seeing my tail off for him and Um. In in this week's episode of the Wired Hunt podcast, which will be out tomorrow, I go into excruciating detail of everything I've been trying to do and it's just been frustrating because of limitations with Um, with my property, UM, the moral of the stories that I've seen him so so many times, but he's always just a little bit out of reach and most of the time on the other side of the property line that I can't get too obviously. So um so yeah, you know, it's been really cool hunting this buck and getting to know him and see him so often. But he has won this round, that's for sure. Yeah. Well, that's that's November for you. It can be fun and it can be frustrating. Oh yeah, it's we're just talking about. It could be the best of times in the worst of times. But for you, you have you've had some success, right, Yeah. So I'm an opportunity hunter, not just specifically an archery hunter. That's my passion. But if I can pick up a rifle tag now and then I will, and I'll table to draw a pretty easy rifle tag for western South Dakota. Um. But it's a pretty tough haunt. There's a lot of orange, and there isn't much public to go around. So I went in with it with lowered expectations like if I could take a one thirty or something like that, I'd be happy. And and I was able to get a buck just around there, so I was really excited with how it went and Uh, it's a good way to start the route for me. It Uh, it makes things easier to come back home now and haunt archery there. It feels like there's a little bit less pressure now to take off that. I love that feeling when you've got tag killed and everything after that's kind of just crazy. So so this right, this podcast is all about right activity and reporting on what we're seeing. So can we maybe get our first rout report from you? What have you been seen in South Dakota on that hunt or otherwise? Yeah, well I'll start with the rifle hunt. And uh, you know, when you get a rifle season opening like that with heavily pressured public land, uh, the rut can basically just go right out the window because suddenly the deer aren't acting like deer anymore. They're acting like deer that are being chased by a group of humans. So it's way different. Um. But the first morning was when I shot this buck, and it was a tough morning. Um, I hadn't seen much and it was actually when I was on my way back to the truck, I spotted this buck in a draw and it was like ten am and he was up and kind of moving about and he saw me about when I saw him, and he allowed me to get in position. I was at like ninety yards and he didn't move much, he didn't flee or anything like that, and I dropped him in one shot. And so because of because of how he was acting, you know, there was definitely something else on his mind. He wasn't too concerned about what I was doing or getting out of that area. So all the no, no, no chasing or anything like that on that just probably because of all of Yeah. Yeah, like I said, I think the ruck kind of goes out the window. And in that case, but I have been back home archery hunting now as far as the deer activity goes, like the younger bucks are moving so much, um, you know, I see as much moving and as much activity on my trail cameras with those one and a half and two and a half year old bucks in the morning and evenings as I do it midday, and so they're definitely on about now. I'm just hoping their excessive movement will translate to the bigger bucks starting to move a little more now for me in daylight. Now, that's the hope that the time of years happened that's for sure. Yeah, yeah, if it's if it's gonna happen, it will be now. Yeah, I've been actually seeing you know, like we talked about last week, um, and really the last two weeks, I've been seeing really good running activity in Michigan compared to what I usually do on a farm. And I don't know if that's just a product of changes with my fear. The last seven days I've seen Hobly feel I think three times, and each one of those times i've seen him chasing does. Um. I've seen another two bucks that I believe at three and a half years old, and both of them i've seen them several different times. A couple of different times. I've seen them on their own just cruising, um, at three o'clock in the afternoon, at ten o'clock in the morning, at four o'clock in the afternoon, and then I've also seen both of them chasing does too. So they're definitely getting after it. Um. Tons of dinks, you know, a year and a half old running all over the place to all all times of the day as well. So I mean as far as running activity by me, yeah, as the buzzi as he gets in this part of Michigan, at least on the property's I hunt. Um been been seeing a lot and just I usually don't see three and a half year old running around like this. Um, so it's what I've it's what I've wanted to see. It's been a lot of fun. I mean. So two days ago I was hanging a new stand, kind of running down Sat trying to get on Holy Field. And while I'm playing my six in the tree trying to climb up there here comes Frazier, this three and after all I've been watching for a while now, starts walking right towards me here merely the wrestling, and he heard a noise and was interested in what it was, and he walked in about ten yards of me while I'm standing on the ground just frozen until he kind of figured out there was something not quite right about the situation. So their first year, they're curious, they're looking for they're looking for love right now, but unfortunately for him, in all the wrong places. Yeah, and how does that translate to Ohio? For you? What are your expectations going there? What kind of tactics are you gonna use? You know, that's gonna be the big question, big question mark right now is what will be going down in Ohio. What I've always historically seen in the five or six years I've been hunting down here has always been that the activity seems to be better a little bit later down here for us compared to a home. And I've kind of hypothesized that that's just because is I'm hunting in the far southern part of Ohio, so it's usually like ten degrees warmer down there than it is compared to my home in Michigan. So there's just a better chance in the second week or third week vever I'm getting some cooler weather, um than not. So when I get those cooler temperatures, that just seems to always kick the daily activity up a notch or two. So a cold frems actually hitting today and tonight and the temps will be like thirteen degrees cooler than they were yesterday when I'm out there tomorrow, So I'm hoping that means there's been some good activity. Um. I've got a wireless trail camera down there that showed a really nice big buck on the property in the middle of the day, one thirty in the afternoon on camera. UM. A couple of days ago so they're definitely starting to move more. And you know, it's one of those areas that doesn't have a ton of deer, is not a very high deer population, so I know I'm not gonna see a lot deer, but usually because it's kind of a travel quarter, they're there. You just have to be there when the right one cruise there. Um. So that's my plans. I'm just gonna set up in a travel corridor, whether it will be funneling between two big areas of timber, where there's gonna be do's about it, and I'm just gonna hunt all day in these kind of pinch points for as long as I possibly can, as many days as I can. And it's just kind of a crime. Um. There's no fancy, no fancy tactics, just kind of grinded out will I will say. In Michigan, what I found the most subcessed with was focusing on dope betting areas. When I whenever I was tied to a dope betting area, that was when I was seeing these deer in daylight. There weren't so much traveling in different places. It was all really tight to the best to betting areas that have in the area. Yeah, well, I think this is as good as it gets right now, and if our conversations are are any implication of what's going on right now. My contexts were really hard to get hold of this week because they were all sitting in the woods all day. That's a tough problem to have, but this is a good problem to have because it means we're out there doing what we love. Yeah. Absolutely, So We're gonna start with Ben harsh Shine in Iowa with hunt Tera Mapping, and then we have Mike hunt Sucker in Wyoming with heart Lambow Hunter. Then we go to New Hampshire and talk to Tim Bieble from the four Pointer dot Com. And then we end with Haynes Shelton in Kansas and North American White Tailed TV. Excellent, Well should we should we get right to it and stop our rambler? Yeah? We better you You enjoy your drive, Mark he thanks, good luck coming you too, but quickly before we get to our first update. As all Wired Hunt podcasts are, this episode is brought to you by sit Good Gear. If you'd like to learn more on Sitka Gears technical hunting apparel, you can visit Sitka gear dot com and now onto the show. Are joining us on the line. First is Ben Harshine, the founder of Huntera Mapping. Now Ben in Iowa, what would you say the buck activity has been there on a scale of one to ten, Um, boy, I probably put it at I would say, uh seven or an eighth in the mornings over the past um five days to past week pre you know, really good pre rut action leading into some classic heart for rut chasing. UM. Mornings definitely seemed to be significantly better for movement. UM. Here in the Midwest, we're dealing with UM midday highs and probably the mid to high sixties, low seventies, but the the lows in the mornings at first lighter in the low forties to mid forties, and that seems to really um get them pretty fired up. So my mornings have been super hot as far as dear movement and seeing four or five six bucks every morning between first light and UM I'd say nine, nine to ten o'clock. These past couple fits recently have been seeing more mature bucks on their feet. UM. Seemed like earlier last week a lot of my sits were I've seen a lot of a lot of cruising, but you know, uh, two year olds, some three year olds. Um. And then these past handful of days started to see some some dear that I haven't recognized, but definitely four year old plus tear that are that are up on their feet, and some of them have been really actively pursuing those. Sure, and so a seven or eight in the morning, what do you think about that evening movement, in that midday movement? Uh, you know that we're pretty concerned about during the route like this. Yeah, I've seen I've been sitting it's yet at three times now, um, three all day sits and the mid day um, I believe. And two of them I saw a couple of three year olds either come scooting through. I saw one on Sunday with a dough she she was he was tending her and she they were actively breathing. I mean she brought basically brought him up to a pretty secluded ditch and and um, he tended her right there. So there they are definitely starting to uh connect with those more and more. Um, mid day I think it's kind of hit or miss. And in the evening when the sun starts dropping and it starts getting cool a little bit, and seeing some decent movement, but really nothing like the cruise that I've been seeing in the in the mornings. So and Ben, I saw on Facebook a couple of days ago you asked a really compelling question, um, and it was basically asking, Uh, come this time of year, peak rot, how important is a mature bucks betting? Um? You know when he's out chasing and basically looking for aut dolls. And I saw you got like seventy plus comments on that. What did you learn from from that status? Ben? And is there a consensus answer to that question? There was a lot of opinions on it. Um. I do think it's one thing to point out is that it's a matter of that specific animal. Um. You know, what he chooses to do is not exactly the same thing as what the next six and a half year old lifetell is going to choose to do. Um, he got this far in life, I believe that he's probably going to start to stick to the situations that he's put himself in, in the locations he's put himself into get this far in his life. So, UM, whether he's betting there year round, I'm not sure whether he's betting there UM right now? Possibly it's probably an area of security for him. What happens whenever that first dough that comes through that he catch his window? Will he get with her and bring her back to that area go off where she wants to take him? I'm not I'm really not quite sure. But it's just really interesting to think about that kind of stuff. And I've got a lot uht of phenomenal uh answers from some big buck killers. Uh and there their take on on it. So pretty cool topic though. Yeah, And what I kind of gathered was that, you know, each buck is unique, but overall, a lot of them they got that big for a reason and that and that's kind of you know, staying safe and keeping in the area they're familiar with. So yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. What about going forward, Ben, in this next week or so, what do you think the rut activity is going to be there? On a scale of one to ten, I think it's going to continue to be solid um and uh, you know, it's we're getting to the point, I'm in the bell curve where we're really creeping into some time when a lot of more and more doughs are going to be coming into Estrau. So the availability and the supply is going to be significantly greater than it was, say right now or even a week kill um, But that doesn't mean that all of the bucks are getting on does at the same time in the woods are going to completely go silent. Um. There's dose on bucks right now that will be on does for the next twenty four to thirty six hours that will then again have to go find another one. And there's there's bucks currently right now that are looking for them. That's going to be the case the whole way through the run. You just have to be there for whenever that right one comes through, whether he's with a dough or not. Absolutely well, for your sake, I hope those big bucks stick around to what they're familiar with and you get a shot at him. So thanks for your time, Ben, I appreciate the call. Hey, thanks Wat Spencer and joining us on the line. Next is Mike hun Sucker, host of heart Lamb Bow Hunter. Now, Mike, in northeastern Wyoming, what would you say the buck activity has been there on a scale of one to ten. Well, you know, uh, this part of the state is is quite a bit different than anywhere um, and in the middle West, there's just a ton of ton of deer, really high numbers and so, um, you know, the buck activities always pretty good. I mean depending on the time of the year, but I mean anywhere from you know, early season through October. You know, I seems like you know, they're they're they're moving, they're they're doing you know, they're doing their things. So UM, I would say right now, you know, we're seeing deer, we're seeing bucks, and and they're moving in daylight. As as far as the ruts concerned, um, you know, I would probably say it's about a seven seven six or seven. You know. I we're from what we've seen, you know, we've only hunted for two days. Um, but we're seeing some seeking, you know, some bucks you know, bumping doughs around and making scrapes and that type of stuff. But nothing. I haven't seen any situation where I've I've seen a dough it's for sure hot and for sure and heating that that bucks are kind of fighting over. So sure. And would you say that your morning sits are better right now or your evenings, Um, the evening sits have actually been better, um, the the past couple of days. This morning, we hunted this morning and it was just really really slow. Um, but usually like I don't know when in in the midwest of Missourian stuff. I mean, I love morning this time of year just because it's you know, the weather is a lot cooler. But um, it's just been so on the seasonal we warm across the whole Midwest and even out here. And why when he was sixty degrees today, when hasn't heard of so Um, you know, just kind of want those one of those things, you know, you gotta we gotta deal with what we're what we're doing, and the weather is you know, I mean they're still running the ruts. The ruts gonna happen no matter what. It's just you know, when the when the temperatures get up into the sixties, it just really suffused the daylight activity absolutely. And what kind of areas are you guys focusing in on right now? Are you near their bedding? Are you looking for water or food or what are you doing there? In Wyoming? We're actually out here it's super super dry, so we're we're kind of concentrating on some some water areas and that may be why are our barning runt was so slow because we went to this we went to this spot that say, usually as a nice, nice water hole, but it's been so dry that literally there was no water and it so we were sitting over a water hole and the water more but um, yeah, water is kind of the limited resource out here at the moment. So um, we're kind of keen on water, and the water sources typically are kind of you know, in transition areas between bed and food. Sure, And so you talked about sign a little bit earlier with some scrapes and uh, the scrapes and rubs in your area, are are they hitting them in daylight yet or not? Yeah? I mean there's rubs all over the place, you know, and and they you know, they started making rubs a lot of times right out of velvet and so it's kind of hard to tell. But um, a lot of rubs and a lot of scrapes. And actually we had a hunt's night and had had two nice bucks come in. Unfortunately the one we were wanting to shoot was a big nine for sure, mature deer, its like six plus. Um. He came out plenty of daylight and then kind of fed off to our our south and then he um didn't come back until like last last light and um, there was another he was with another nice buck and he kind of bumped him, pushed him out of the way, and I passed him up. Um, I wasn't sure if he was three or four. He was he was really nice, but he was quickly might have been a younger deer. And then he finally made his way in within bow range about thirty five yards, but it was just too dark for for film for footage, so he got the past tonight. But um, after after we passed him up, he went down the draw and bumped a few dolls around and when he was down there thrashing, making a rup and making some scrapes down there. So um, they're definitely still hitting them. And um, you know, usually this is one of my favorite favorite weeks out of the whole year to hunt, but it seems to me, um, just from what I've seen, it's like not not quite there yet, So share until with that said, going forward, do you think it's gonna get better? Like, what do you think on a scale of one to ten, the bunk activity will be in this coming week? You know, I'm hoping it's gonna be better based on the weather conditions. Um, obviously you know the next over the course of the next week, think is is gonna be. It should be better than better than anything that that's happened yet this year. I would I would imagine, Um, you know, obviously the rut is it's so and you know you talk to somebody and they're like, oh, it's on, it's on. It's going crazy here and you know it's all situational. It depends on where you're at and in the location and the spot you are. I mean I've been, you know, had had hunts in November when everything was perfect, you know, pressures through the roof conditions, you know, temperatures are low and you don't see any deer just like you know, there's bad luck. You happen to be the wrong spot of the wrong at the wrong time. So, um, I do think it'll get better, though, I really do. And out here, you know, it's it's different too. You know, it's not like it's hunting in Kansas or Western Kansas. For the the numbers are super low and the rut the competition is through the roof. You know. Um, there's just literally more dear per square mile than anybody anywhere else that ever hunting out here, So there's so many doughs, and there's you know there there's a ton of bucks too, but there's you know, a limited amount of mature box and they kind of run things and so you know, it's almost like they don't really have to compete that much to find a dough and heat. Yeah, well, I know either way, you guys are gonna lay down some sick footage and stuff. I can't wait to see next season, Harlan bow Hunter. So thanks for your time, Mike, Yeah, hey, thank you. I'm I'm looking forward to the next few days alright. And joining us on the phone. Next is Tim Bieble of the four pointer dot Com. Now, Tim in New Hampshire, what would you say the buck activity has been there? On the scale of one to ten, I'm gonna give it a seven right now. Definitely up from last time we spoke. Um, I've seen more buck activity this year than I've seen in many years past. Very active scrape line I've been seeing. It seems like every time I got out there to hunt again there was a fresh grape or two on the ground and and uh, definitely exciting rubs too, So very active out there. Um, So yeah, I'll give it a seven. And can you think of a reason why you would say it's been better movement this time of year than a year's past. I can. I've been racking my brain to figure out what it is. I think maybe I've just got a buck in there this year, and that's particular property that's a little bit more active or more dominant than than there has been a year's passed. And um, that's you know, that's the only thing I can think of at this point. Um. But otherwise I've been I've been trying to figure it out myself. Sure. And and so you're saying you're seeing a lot of scrapes right now, do you think that's typical for this time of year two there or not? Yeah, definitely, this is usually when we see him, Uh, first part of November for sure. And uh, you know we're out of the woods and Vermont. I like to hunt in there too. We're not usually in Vermont this time of year because there's no seasons open, but that season open Saturday, and typically when the rifle season open Saturday, typically when I get out there for opening day on on Saturday, I see scrapes that are a week older. So so you know, usually it's the first week or two in November when we see these scrapes. And what about with the doughs that you've been seeing, have you noticed them acting any differently or no? I wouldn't say that I been looking for it, but I haven't seen it. Um, I mean deer sightings. My deer sightings have been pretty low as it is, um, just hunting big woods, you just don't see a lot of deer. But the ones I have seen haven't really been acting any different than than what I would expect this type of year. Sure, in the in the deer are you see? Are you are seeing? Would you say they're from more of morning sits or evening sits? Evening for me? Um? You know, the last week I tried to sneak out a little bit before work. Um got out for an hour or two each morning, But so I haven't been able to put in a lot of time in the mornings. Um, So most of my longer sits have been in the evenings, and that's when I'm definitely seeing deer. Um. They just seemed to be on their feet just an hour before dark or so, working their way out of their bedding areas and back up. You know, two oaks that are loaded with acorns and and just on the feet to go feed. Sure, and so what sort of an area have you found this big bucket? I know you told me you have a bigger buck maybe like five and a half years old, that you've been targeting. What's the area? Yeah, you've had encounters with him in Yeah, he's pretty cool looking buck. Um. I just got him on camera last week. Honestly, I didn't didn't know he was still in the area. I have him on camera, um, three years ago, I believe as a two and a half year old. He's gotta he's gotta messed up right side his right pedicles, it's kind of been off of the side, so it's right angler grows funny. So he's pretty recognizable. But um, this is uh, you know, he's he's following roots along the top of a probably a mile long ridge. Um, he's just cutting across it. And from what I can tell, he's of course doing it in the middle of the night when I'm not there. But um, he's coming up from his betting area, which I think is down in the valley, deep valley and up on a hillside across a swamp on the other side pretty hard to get to, but it's a mixture of hardwoods and pines, and uh, he's following the edges of these oaks where they meet up with thick pine stands. And then uh, as he goes down over over the ridge back to his bedding area, he's just following the slight rises in uh, you know, in the hardwoods where he can see both directions as he heads back down the hill. And pretty neat to find that bucks on there. I mean, it's right where you'd expect to see it, but oftentimes you just don't know you're you're standing in that spot un till you until you're there. Um, you know, twenty yards to the right or left, you wouldn't know any different. But once you're there, he realized why a buck's traveling where's traveling? He can just see he's got good visuals, um, and he can use the wind in the evening and in the mornings to travel back and forth. But so far I just haven't been able to catch up with him. But hoping that changes tomorrow. Sure, And what about going forward to the next week or so, what do you think the Buck ACTV is going to be? Then? On the scale of one to ten. No, I'm gonna keep it pretty high. I mean seven or eight, I would think definitely. Hearing you know, stories of people seeing bucks chasing now, um, you know, and I'm hoping that's the way that this guy is gonna mess up. I think he's just got to make a mistake and and I think for the most part just comes down to me being there, you know, just having the time to actually be there and wait him out to make that mistake and chase a dough through the area. I just think he's he's old and smart, and that's probably the only way he's gonna get get killed. So yeah, i'd keep it pretty high, seven or eight for sure. Well, that's exciting to hear, and I hope that all comes together for you. Tim. Thanks for your time. Yeah, I appreciate it very much, Talk too soon. And joining us on the line next is Haynes Schillon, associate editor of North American Whitetail. Now. Haynes has been doing some filming in Kansas and Haynes, on a scale of one to ten, what would you say the buck activity has been there in the last week or so, Hi Spencer as go man Um Well, I'll tell you. We came into uh, Kansas on November three, UH first afternoon sit. I saw a big hundred and sixty inch tank of a buck out there tending two does, and had a hundred forty inch buck come in right after him, and we thought it was on fire, you know. Uh. The next day had another shooter come in, um dog and two does, and you know, things were looking really hot. And you know, if you'd asked me after our first two days here, I would have told you man eight or nine, you know, we had We've been using a doe decoy and a buck decoy, switching them out, you know, day by day, and it's had tremendous response to both. At the start of our hunt, I had three bucks right at one thirty young deer three year old uh, come right into both the buck and a doe DKI. I had bucks blowing up on it. I didn't have any knock them over, but I had them you know how they get all bristle back, hair stands up, they lay those ears back. I had them circling the buck, and I had bucks coming in looking like they were going to breathe my dodecoy. I mean just sniffing the butt on that thing, looking like they're getting ready to hop on it and mount. And uh. Ever since then the past three days and then really slow. You know, you know, if I had to give you one to ten today, I might tell you four or five. You know, it's almost, uh, it's almost varying day by day so much that it's hard to say. Now. Yeah, well that sounds like the rut um. And with that decoying, let's go into a little more on what techniques have been using there. Have you've been using any sense or calling and what type in the area are you sitting those decoys up in? Yeah? Yeah, well, you know, it's pretty wide open here in the part of Kansas I'm at. We're hunting uh two big agg fields milo and a corn field that are split apart by the slough. We call it a plum thicket, and it's uh, you know, it's a great travel corridor slash bedding area combo. And you know, we hunt right on the edge of that thing, and the bucks and does can pile out. It's almost like a wind break too. They can pile out from there into these agg fields. And that's where we're setting up our decoy. And like I said, basically, they've got a flambeau boss buck decoy. It looks like a great, big, mature buck. You take the horns off, it looks like a big like a nanny dough and uh, you know, been trying both and you know when it's the dough. I got a piece of white uh fabric that I cut out looks like a tail, and I'll put that thing on there and I might apply some you know Estra sent to it. And that's where I've had my bucks coming in checking that and you know, send checking or smelling around. So you know, it's it's awesome when you use the decoy and it's working. It's some of the most fun hunting you can do, you know, to see those great big bucks or those you know, young bucks or or whatever coming in to check it out. It's just at the rush, Matt. Yeah. And what about for your seats on morning versus evening? Are you seeing more activity on on one or the other. It's variable, you know, it's seeing good deer movement on both um. But the mornings is where I'm getting. You know, that good rut activity that I saw the first two days, that was both mornings were we're really on fire. You know. The evenings are more more travel you know, if I can catch them traveling. We've had them come in and react. But I'd say mornings, if I had to lean one way or another, probably mournings a little hotter right now. Yeah, and what about going forward? What do you think the bucket activity is gonna be then on a scale of one to ten in this next week or so. Well, and I'm in a good part of Kansas, um during the darn right time of year, you know that could I could go in in the morning and it's full throttle. You know, it could be a teen. You know, we've got a big coal front coming in to night. There's a frost advisory for the morning. It's gonna hang around thirty four to thirty six degrees. I think it will have them wrapped up. But you know they gotta rut. They're gonna do it. They only get one chance a year, you know. I'd say in the next week it could be an eight or nine. Man. Yeah, well, I hope the timing works out for you there. Thanks for your time, Hains. I appreciate the call. Yeah, absolutely, thank you, Spencer. And that concludes that this week's episode of Where To Hunt's Radio. Make sure to follow the whir to Hunt on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Spencer new Heart. Thanks for listening and I hope you're having an awesome November