Family Hunting Opportunities. In this episode we dive into options for hunting with youth hunters. There are a lot of great options to get kids started in hunting. Most states have great programs designed especially for young hunters. We also hear about Adams 2021 Idaho deer hunt.
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What do you want? Lots of big bucks. Day one. I scratched my truck a lot and went through lots of lava Day two lots more lava and a few bucks. Had a special tag. I’m just gonna hold out for a special buck or eat my tag. Anything to do with Western Big Games. Welcome to the Epic Outdoors Podcast, powered by Under Armour. Hey everybody. Jason Carter, Adam Bronson, Chris Peterson. We’re in the podcast room here at Epic Outdoors. Of course. You know, I like this room and I like this side of the office and I just can’t figure out Bronson, why you and I are on this site. And Chris, how you got over here. It’s nice and quiet. And he’s surrounded by all of his animals mounts. It’s nice. I’m jealous. Do you have an answer? Swap us out. I don’t care. No. Well actually I don’t like moving. No, I’m not. That’s what I thought. In their defense, they built it nice over here. Well, and it was also the last office we, we, we started with one, went to two, went to three, the third one’s, the end. And that’s, they ended and it was pre it prebuilt with the conference room. So they like ours. Our site’s a sweat shop. We got office after off and, and no fun. Right? Just nothing but windows and offices. OSHA would have a heyday looking at our layout. Right. And this is nice.
00:01:16:00 –> 00:02:25:06
It’s nice to come over here once in a while and then I get, I store some stuff over here once in a while. Huh? Chris, do you? Yeah. Yeah. The whole pile of sheds. Sheds. Yeah. Why is that? Carter bucks and bolts. Huh? You’re giving me a hard time last week. Why did you have to bring your shed pile here? Well, really you’re gonna bring that up. Well, I just wondered why they all a place. I need a place for my water storage there. There we go. There we go. I’m glad, we’re glad we’re on the same page. It reminded me of some chefs that I don’t, I haven’t got to enjoy for many, many years. And so now we, we all get to enjoy ’em. Right, Chris? That’s right. Watch your step. So anyway, yeah, here we are. It’s raining outside. I can’t believe it. Another few days of rain, which just seems like it just kind of keeps trickling in. We need it. Yeah. Yeah. We’re perking things up. It got record setting warm here in southern Utah this last week, mid seventies here. Upper eighties in St. George. It was shattering records all over Utah. Now we’re snowing again. Crazy, isn’t it? Yeah. Pretty awesome. Well, we’re watching the radar. We, we watch the radars and then now I’ve even got bookmarks for like the cameras, you know? Yeah. Usually people use ’em for like the traffic jams. Yeah.
00:02:25:08 –> 00:03:31:10
I’m using it to see if there’s rain in Vegas. If there’s rain in Vegas, there’s rain everywhere. Yeah, that’s true. Right? Yeah. Oh yeah. If it rain, there’s certain places, you know, when it’s raining hard, it’s gonna come. It’s gonna be really hard in other places. Chia Pet, we have not used that word in a long time. Feels like a former life guy. Is this gonna be a chia pet year? No, I know. No, it doesn’t feel like it, but it doesn’t feel terrible compared to last year. It might. Alright. It’s gonna feel like a, it’s gonna feel like a rainforest. Yeah, it’s gonna, last year was brutal. Chia pet’s gonna have a few sprigs. Let’s just put it that way. You know, when we’re looking at the moisture, we’re kind of checking out the timeframe from October 1st till now. And when I look at that, it, it makes me happy. Yeah. When I look at January 1st till now, not, not incredible. Less than perfect. Yeah. You know, but we did go in way better here in Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, Southern Nevada. We, we went into the fall with a heavy monsoon, good fall moisture. Hopefully that got, you know, and it did green up there. Was green in the desert this year, which was not for the prior two years. That’s right. Ended up going into winter. So Saturday got me fired up.
00:03:31:21 –> 00:04:45:00
I’m out there fencing, which I don’t like, I don’t like to do it. I’d rather be out scouting. But what got me fired up was the nice weather and reminding me that scouting’s around the corner. And it reminded me that, you know, while a lot of these states are kind of changing or reviewing their, you know, technology rules, cameras, trail cameras, things like that, we’re gonna start putting up some cameras. Not too long. We can still run cameras to scout here in Utah and Nevada and whatnot. Of course you can’t do it in Arizona. But I’m, I’m kind of excited to run these stealth cams. Well, and it’s, you know, we went through it a few years ago in Nevada when they went to the July 31st cutoff. Nothing more after that. And it almost spurs you to have to go harder for a shorter period of time. ’cause that’s all you got. You gotta tend your cameras a little bit more in between visits. ’cause if one gets kicked over by account’s face down for 30 days and you go there the day that you’re supposed to gather ’em on July 31st or 30th and it hadn’t been taking pictures for three weeks, you’re, you’re an office. You’re ticked. You’re ticked. Yeah. So anyway. Yeah, if you’re needing something, why don’t you tell ’em about it? Yeah, let’s, good. Well I think we’ve got a lot of cameras here in the office.
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We’re also made another huge order. We sell ’em here in our optics store. So if anybody’s interested in grabbing onto some more stealth cams, give us a holler. We have kind of what we feel like are the best models. We have a a lower end model. It’s a very inexpensive model as well as, you know, some of the best and the best prices out there. So anyway, you might go on to stealth cam.com, check ’em out. You can also call us here at Epic Outdoors 4 3 5 2 6 3 0 7 7 7 4 3 5 2 6 3 0 7 7 7. And or you can hit us with an email [email protected]. You’d love to, you never know how, take care of all your optics needs and maybe even do a Bronson bundle with the stealth cam. What do you think, Bronson? You gonna do a Bronson bundle? Well, there’s gonna have to be some other purchases before you just start throwing a hundred dollars cameras in with stuff. But yes, I’m willing to talk. Well we’ve got a lot of inventory here at, at Epic Outdoors. You know, it’s right, right before tax season and right during tax season, people little apprehensive. And then right after, you know, the tax deadline, of course the sales start ramping up. And I think it’s just a little relief. Everybody’s about April 15th ish, 17th ish. They can see light at the end of the, of the tunnel. Of course we can see light at the end of the tunnel.
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’cause the bulk of our research publications have at least gone to John’s desk as far as the research side of things and, and getting ready to get published for the last couple of publications, the May and June. And so we’re getting ready to scout. Everybody’s getting ready to scout and that’s when we’re glad we got some inventory here to take care of some people. Well it’s also the time we’re starting to get some dry results back from a few states. And nothing like a good tag or a good notification of a good tag to put you over the edge on whether you need to upgrade something or not. Whether it be a rifle scope for your rifle setup, whether it be for a new spotter, new pair of bios, new pair of rangefinder bios or new rangefinder, smart range finder. Dope up your load. Whatever you’re looking for, give us a call. We’ve been super aggressive. Covid Hass taught us a few things. You know, we started optics the year Covid started not, not ever diving into that. And we had some major supply chain issues. Disrupt our normal, I guess learn as you go ordering pattern. But we’ve way overcompensated for that. And we’re ready. We’ve got lots of stuff on the shelf for this spring and summer when you’re gonna need it. So keep that in mind. Give us a call. We’ve got great prices, member pricing that not gonna be beat.
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So keeps in mind for all that. Pretty awesome. Bronson, as you, you were talking, you, you mentioned, you know, some draw results and deadlines and whatnot. We’ve got a lot coming down the pipe right now. You know, we, we’ve, we’ve done a lot with Montana, even Montana deer now. ’cause you get your app in I did for the first time in several. Me too. I mean, mainly been point gathering, but I did have a preference point and I do have five or six bonus points. So we’ll see, see what happens. Quite a, quite a bit of change in Montana with adding on the outfitter point. Yeah. And you know, if you add on that outfitter point, you’re also adding on a regular point. You can go into the draw if you’ve never even applied in Montana before, you can go into the draw with two points preference and they give you those points prior. That’s to running the draw on the preference point for the general. They do, it’s one of the, we get a lot of miss a lot of people think that you get your point in every state going into the draw. That’s not the case in the other states. But in Montana, regarding the general deer elk combos, it is, you buy it and it, it counts going into that draw.
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So you can, if you’re gonna hunt with an outfitter, you go from zero to two and then they run the draw the first year you apply or, but on bonus points for the, for the special limited entry units, they give it after like, like I wanna say everything else, A normal state, almost a real estate, let’s call it a normal state. Yeah. You don’t get it. Montana unsu successful. Montana’s not a normal state. No. Huh. Now the two step process of getting the general and the and the specials are are tricky. But yeah, we’re in. Are you in? Yeah, I am. Yeah. I’m looking forward to it actually. Well, hey, you know what it is? Ashley’s gonna be hunting to Montana. I went home and told her So it’s happening. Well yeah, because they’ve got a youth deal that if you get a tag yourself, she can buy one over the counter later. Yeah. She can get one over the counter. But I applied her and the only reason why, and it did cost more to do it that way, but I want her in for the limited entry. Yeah. She can build some points for the bonus points. Two seven. I’d just like to see her smash at 200. But hey, and she would too. She’s on it. She’s on it. So by the way, I did find a little clean Ford Ranger.
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She’s already, if you can believe it, she’s already gonna have her learner’s permit here in about 30 days. And that gave me an excuse to do what? To shop for a truck to actually not, not shop for a truck to pull the trigger. Hey, because you shot I haven’t while 365. Haven’t they? Tell me you’re not proud of me. I ha when was the last time I bought a vehicle? Yeah, it’s been maybe a year. Yeah, a year and some months. Maybe it was December. That’s probably 20. Probably last. Well I got a 2021 model, which I’ve told are rare because of Covid. I think I’ve got something there. I think I’ve got a special rare vehicle that’s gonna be worth a lot of money someday. Could be. But a lot of people are running from the covid years. Where’s it at right now? Well, I mean it’s the dealership. Yeah. Why did you have to bring that up? Well, well I’ve just said you’re, since the OSUs truck gonna be worth a lot money someday. Well it’s, and all it seems like just barely I heard that you’re sick of having have to call your wife to get a ride around town and hey, can you come get me from home, from work, get me. Well, what’s interesting, so very rarely do I just am not a diesel guy. Part of it is I love the power, I love the gas mileage.
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But part of it is, it’s just one of those things. They’re generally heavier in the front end and you get stuck a lot. And I can’t go everywhere in the world. Colorado, four foot of snow, three, two foot of mud, whatever. I just feel it’s better with a gas or, okay. So I do end up with a little diesel Chevy zero two diesel. I think it’s 2.8 liter. But what’s interesting when you pop the hood, like let’s just say it quit running, what would I do? I’m gonna call like AAA or call, call somebody. Yeah. I’m gonna phone a friend. Yeah. Okay. There’s no other option is there? There’s no other option. Yeah. On a gasser, you think fuel or fire, I’m gonna, you know, plug and play with a, you know, spark. I don’t know something. Right? Maybe, maybe. I don’t know. I could get it to start right. I had an old Jeep that our distributor cap Yeah. Would, would rattle off on the Jeep and that was 80% of the time that was a fix. And I’ve got, I got it. I got it. Yeah. And you know how to mechanic on ’em. Right. Nowadays, let’s say yours, ER two quit. What would you, mine’s, what would you do? Again? Mine’s a gaster. But I But you feel better that it’s a gaster, right? Because we’ve been trained that we can work on those. But could you really work on yours?
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No, I don’t. You would pop the hood hood and go what? Ah, I wouldn’t call 9 1 1, but nine one two. I don’t know what brother. That’s my point. So why not run a diesel? I know. It’s just part of it, part heavier. Getting stuck is part. Okay. Heavier getting stuck. The other thing for me, I, but it’s not on these Z twos, it’s really not. And when I go way out in the hills for two weeks at a time and, and I have side-by-side and generators and everything. Part of it for me is to have one kind of fuel. And I know that’s stupid. It is because of the gas mileage. Negates it. You don’t have to gas up as much. I’m telling you I get four 50 miles to tank. Well, no, I’m talking, no, I’m talking when I’m, I am deep two hours for any gas pump deep. And I gotta take, now I am only got so many gas containers. But you could take, half of them can be diesel. Now half of them could be. Have you ever put more than, okay. Not ever. Do you very often, once a year put more than two fibers before you go to a gas pump? No, but there’s always the grinder. There’s always that hunt. Hey, the diesels and you could put a diesel can in, but the diesels get so much better. Gas mileage you never put need to put a fire back to.
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So, all right, so Bronson back to, is it the dealership? It is at the dealership. Okay, good. Well it’s just for a minor emissions, but it’s but it’s it is it? No. Yeah. A little, a little check engine. Like, come on. Has yours ever come on once. Okay. Yeah, I had a problem. Mine’s come on once now and it’s a little O2 sensor, whatever, I guess it came out and I was getting fumes inside the truck. But anyway, luckily, whatever. It’s awesome. It’s, yeah, it’s the best truck I’ve ever so never heard that before. All right. So anyway, Ashley now has a little Ford ranger. That’s good. And we’re applying her for Montana. That’s good. Part of these, let’s talk about, let’s talk about the kids a little bit. Bronson. Okay. We’ve been been kids applying our kids. I’m, I’m running outta kids In terms of under 18 kids, you’ve only got one and a half. Two maybe. I got two I got, but they’re, we’re getting old. Our kids are no longer kids. They’re adults. Two outta my three are adults. Yeah. I got one turning 15, one turning 17. And then the other two are just old. Yeah, yeah. Single old single dudes. But it does factor in, even even though our, some of our kids are adult kids now. Yeah. I took, I took a couple of mine to Colorado last year. Had a good time.
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I gotta do a different one this year to Colorado. I mean, we’re balancing a lot. And of course they all want, we’re trying to get husband, husband of the year award. We’re trying to get dad of the year award and we’re trying to kill 200 inches on our own and different species. I’ve got my daughter, I’m trying to get an elk tag and that’s hard to do. I don’t wanna do an over the counter. Just don’t, don’t ask me why. I don’t, I don’t want to go waste my time. I don’t wanna do that. That takes a lot of time. Waste your time. Well, I don’t want her to want quit hunting. There’s been some big bulls and taking and Colorado on over the counter. Okay. Where should I go? Lemme get Well I have a feeling about where you should go. Okay, well I’m not doing that because I’m gonna be hunting deer at the rifle this year. ’cause somebody talked me in last year to go in Muzz loader. I know. And I had a great time. You did. But this year stayed five bones for it. My my schedule this year is third season’s wide open. Alright. And that’s what I’m gonna go, but so you could do, you could do a unit for in hunt. I’m counter Elk while hunting deer and I could do a a first or second season with her. We will see.
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But, but yeah, let’s go through ’em all real quick. Well, like we, we for the states that we’ve all and these kids, the pro we’re talking about ’em being old now. Well we’ve got kids now. I’ve got some of my kids with 14 points. It is awesome. And same with Sean. He got that archery elk tag down in Arizona. Now he wasn’t guaranteed to draw it in Arizona, but he had more names in the hat he drew randomly. That’s right. Well, when you start putting ’em in there at 10 and then they get a loyalty, then they do the hundred ed. So that’s 12 years. You know, you’re 22 or something. They 14 points. Yeah. You could draw a significant archery tag. So, and that’s the thing, I I I, you know, before they changed this, it was a, it was a little bit of a, well it was a little, this was like Montana used. Montana is now if you have a pulse and a social, you can, you get an Ls start building points for, for your kids in Montana. That’s right. Arizona used to be that way. Until what? Until a unnamed man from Southern Utah. Well, I mean, and others. My kids were in diapers getting points and what was frustrating is, is so then they stopped it. So I had to stop. They had had to be 10 was five and it gives you five years and they purge.
00:15:31:27 –> 00:16:30:28
He was nine and a half. And they Pured point. Yeah, they ped him. They purged him. I mean it was such a waste. But hey I’ve, you know, funded the state. Right? I mean slightly because the youth license, I mean it’s cheap. It’s cheap to do. So anyway, well let’s go through the current, maybe it’s the current stuff. Well, so we were just talking about that. Definitely do Arizona, you gotta be 10 by the start of the hunt to apply. Of course you could get points, but you’d have to be 10 by the app deadline. So we’re always looking at things like there’s some late seasons down there. Oh yeah. If your kid doesn’t turn 10 till whatever, November, December, pick a late co or whatever, something like that. Yeah. Sheep doesn’t start till December 1st and they have split application periods. Biggest kicker for kids, what, five bucks for a hunting license, right? Yeah, that’s right. The other thing, Bronson, and we shouldn’t say it on air, but let’s say it, if you have a kid that that just doesn’t hunt, right? Maybe the kid, like you wanted ’em to hunt, you’ve got ’em some points and then they’re like, just dad, I just, you know, it’s not my thing. And you’re like, oh, no problem. I’m gonna keep getting you points and you can point boost dad.
00:16:31:05 –> 00:17:30:13
Well you haven’t as a kid there a lot of, a lot of our 10 year olds, we’re not trying to get ’em drawn for a tag as a 10-year-old. Right. In too many places. And by the time they’re 18 or so and they become an adult, you’ve accrued 10 points. That’s right. You know, eight or 10 points for ’em. And you don’t know a clear picture of how much they wanna hunt and all that. But if they don’t, that maybe is a little investment. And you could let ’em split their points once with you and go on a, on a co deer hunt or something. You’re not gonna draw an elite or twice with point guard. Yeah, you could do something like that, but, well it’s not something, but our point is it’s such a minimal investment, a minimal get grab em point. And maybe if they’re a hunter, get ’em a point now. And even the non-hunting kids or kids that don’t enjoy it as much as others, which is just normal. It’s just part of the kid. They could be in the same environment and and and just turn out a little bit different, have different wants and desires and, and aspirations and, and that just happens. But anyway, grabbing points. Maybe they’ll go once every other year with you on something or, or whatever. Give you a little time with your kid. A little one-on-one.
00:17:30:14 –> 00:18:40:03
So anyway, Colorado, you know, 12 basically the magic number is 12 in most of these states. A lot of these states the magic number is 12. And so, you know, there’s always, there’s always a little idiosyncrasies with each one of ’em. Maybe it’s 12 by the end of the hunting season. Maybe it’s 12 by the calendar year. It just depends. Colorado 12 by the end of the hunting season, you apply 12 by the calendar year. Is there a reason you skipped California? Well, I mean, I don’t know. Did it even allow hunting anymore? No. Anyway, it is also 12 by July, right? Yeah. July 1st. Idaho was another 10. Idaho’s a lot like Arizona. You gotta be 10 years old by the start of the hunt. They changed that, I wanna say three or four years ago. I, I dunno exactly. But they also don’t have a point system up there. They do have a youth price license. It isn’t dirt cheap like it used to be, but it still significantly cheaper for non-resident youth to be able to buy their license and apply if, if you wanna apply ’em as a 10-year-old or if you wanna sit ’em out until they get a little bit older. Idaho is a 10-year-old student. But I love Idaho. Bronson, you’ve had, you’ve drawn youth tags up there, even on the second drive, it seems like your son Drew.
00:18:40:03 –> 00:19:44:21
Yeah, he killed us Great buck on a, on a tag that was returned. Yeah, he was 12 years old. Well it actually wasn’t, nobody ever bought it, ever bought the first draw. So they draw it and he drew it in the second draw that’s and killed probably his best buck so far right there with it on a, on a youth hunt. And you know, when he was turned 12 that year, Ashley killed her first buck up there. Justin killed his first buck up there. I mean it’s just know we’re a huge fan of Idaho. No point system, but just a great opportunity to get the kids up there and and affordable to do so. Kansas, no minimum age of course to be in the field. You must be, you know, accompanied by an adult if you’re under 12. So anyway. Yeah, of course. Generally these states do require hunter education. Yes. So even if there’s no mental, I’m kind of blowing through that part. Realize assuming this’s kind of an, an understanding. Some people at back East, they get caught off guard on that. ’cause some states, you know, Texas or something, if you’re old enough to slap the trigger, they, they let you. Texas is great. Just I like Texas makes me smile every time I think about it. But anyway, where are we at?
00:19:45:07 –> 00:20:56:24
I guess that brings us to Montana Must be 12 before or during the season you applied for, but no, no age limit to get points. Just like what you talked about, Bronson. Basically your, your breathing, your dad or mom can grab you an a LS number. So kids in diaper holler at mom and dad get you a point there. Montana, if you want Nevada’s another 12-year-old state. One thing you gotta be prepared for in Nevada, if you’re gonna start, whether you’re an adult or you are a kid, they have to, first you have to submit a copy, upload it to one of your, on your online account of your hunter safety card. If you’re born after 1960, how old are you? That’s 62 year olds. You’re still having to submit that. And I know that sounds ridiculous. It’s not as bad as Colorado 1949. It never changes. The goalpost stays the same, that 1960. So don’t get caught off guard. Whether you’re an adult or a kid trying to apply Nevada for the first time. They’re gonna wanna see a physical copy of your hunter safety card from your state. But it is 12 years old before the commencement of each season that you’re applying for. I do wanna mention Nevada has a great online system for grabbing a hunter ed card. I’ve got one of my kids grab, you know, had his girlfriend take their online course, grabbed a hunter ed card. Yeah.
00:20:56:25 –> 00:22:02:17
It takes four or five hours outta your life if you, if you crank on it. But having said that, you don’t have to go do an infield day, whatever. You’ve got a card that’s valid for all the states. Not a big deal. Why have, we’ve had a lot of our members call in. We’re like, yeah just take an online course. ’cause some guys, you know, back east lot older guys don’t need it. Don’t need it. But a 60, 61 or 2-year-old guy, you’re gonna need it. And that 1949 in Colorado, how old’s that guy? Geez, 72 or 3 73. You still gotta have one sir, I wanna see your hunter ed card. Have you ever handled a firearm? It’s like that’s that guy gonna talk to you like John Wayne, he’s gonna like, he invented the firearm. You know what I mean? So anyway, yeah you do. You do need to grab a hunter ed card. It just grab one makes it easy and then you have options. Just gives you options. Nevada, Texas has an online course pretty easy to do. Not meaning, meaning compared to coming out or in your, even in your home state and going and shooting a 22 at a target or whatever. But hey, some of these states with Covid, COVID has lifted that in-person restriction they have. So anyway, New Mexico, great state, no minimum age to hunt. You do need a hunter.
00:22:02:23 –> 00:23:03:03
Ed Colton kills his first buck at nine years old. Yeah, I took my boy at nine too. Awesome. Both of her couple. One, my only boy and Jason’s oldest killed their first buck there at nine. Yeah. Just because they’re itching to shoot something besides a squirrel. Was that that unit 23 hunt? That was a grinder man. It was grind. The first thing you saw terrible was a coyote. He killed the coyote at first. And I think he’s more excited about the coyote than the buck the bucks. He’s nine. Remember when there the restriction is FAD fork antler deer. Okay. We saw some spikes and we saw fork by spike and I was like, don’t know. Don’t know if that to be fork on, but just let him live. I mean it was so there’s something about it. We didn’t kill anything. Yeah. I mean and you guys, that was a aggress. You guys smashed a forkey forkey. Oh yeah. He wasn’t gonna be stopped. I wasn’t holding him back after three days of driving around and he shot one coyote. I think your kids maybe winged some bullets at coyotes too. But that’s possibly, it was rough. It was rough hunt. But yeah. But having said that, Bronson, I mean your kid’s grown up to be quite a hunter so Well so are yours. I mean it’s lot. You gotta start ’em, but you gotta start ’em somewhere.
00:23:03:03 –> 00:24:21:23
You gotta give ’em a taste of the glory. Taste of the glory. It’s true. And it’s funny to listen to these kids talk about it, see what it tastes like. But anyway, I guess, we’ll you know, Oregon, you know, 12 by the start of the hunt again. You know, you can start getting them points there at nine years old. So anyway, something to consider. They do have a youth license re Yeah. Reduction for non-residents too. There’s some, there’s some incredible youth hunts. It’s changed a little bit. They’ve kind of done away with a couple of the different seasons that we’re just incredible there in Oregon. But having said that, they do have some youth only seasons. So that’s a great opportunity. Oregon also has a, a mentored hunter program where resident non-resident youth may participate in the program without passing a hunter education program. So kind of interesting. Nine to 15 year olds may participate supervising adult must be 21 years of age or older and possess a valid license and tag for the dates area and species being hunted. So anyway, any wildlife harvested by the mentored youth hunter shall count toward the supervising hunter’s bag limit. So just another opportunity there in Oregon, Utah, you know, 12 is the magical age. You can apply and obtain a tag at 11, but you actually can’t hunt until you turn 12. So anyway, good opportunity there as well.
00:24:21:28 –> 00:25:36:11
Washington’s a little bit like Nevada and that they do require to, to send proof of their hunter ed too. But there’s no minimum wage to hunt. And good thing about Washington is like for their sheep, moose, and goat, which is 110 bucks for an adult per species for adults only like $3 and 30 something cents for them. So while the odds are slim, I mean I applied my kids until they were 16. Once they’re 16 plus I just dropped it. Yeah. Not money. It’s not probably worth 110 bucks a species for them. Most most states identify youth as under 18. 18. You know, once you’re 18 you’re an adult and Washington’s a little different. So anyway, why Wyoming? You know, 12 years old, you must be 12 by the start of the hunt. 14 for bison by September 15th for bison. And of course hunter ed’s required anybody after born after 1966. Cheap, cheap point state for at least for deer, elk, and antelope. 10 bucks per species there. It’s a lot cheaper than adults. So darl, can antelope grab a point for 10 bucks each. But let’s talk about what on the front burner. Wyoming bison, you mentioned that just a minute ago. It’s due this week. Yeah, 31st. I know. And with the, with the changes as far as non-resident tag allocations, this is one of those times that guy might consider.
00:25:36:17 –> 00:26:48:03
I I it’s just you feel these hunting opportunities slipping outta your hands, although not necessarily the case. Other changes have, you know, gained us an opportunity here and there, whatever. Yeah, I can’t think of any of those. No, I know, but, but it does feel like things are slipping away. Well this is gonna be, they’re gonna be much fewer non-urgent permits next year. The, the only issue to remember is you do have to front $4,400 on your credit card for the bull hunts. And so it’s not cheap to just apply, but I’ll apply again just ’cause I want a free range bison someday. And I’ve not been able to draw one anywhere else. So I just dusted mine off. Yeah. Killed one when I was 15. You show when at 15 years old. That’s right. And there again that, you know how John says you, you need to be 44 years old before you can really draw once in a lifetime. You know what I mean? And the once in a lifetime we’re talking, let’s say it’s the big, the the big species like sheep, goat, moose, bison, whatever. He’s kind of right a little bit. I was 15, I remember the hunt. I do remember it, but I don’t know that I really cherished it like I would today. No, it’s true. But you know, but but you take a tag when you can get it. ’cause that’s right.
00:26:48:19 –> 00:27:54:07
You’re not, they, they just don’t give ’em out. Yep. You know what I mean? So let’s due this week also Montana, what we’ve talked about that during, out due the first and then Colorado will do April 5th. That’s probably as far as we need to really go on the calendar, isn’t it? Unless you got somewhere, right? Yeah. I mean you got Idaho sheep, goat, moose April 30th or, you know. Yeah, I mean there’s just a, a few things coming down the pipe out. Of course we’ve got Montana, sheep, goat, moose, bison by May 1st. So this next month Adam’s pretty, yeah, it’s pretty aggressive. Yeah. You know what I mean? And not really a due for any drought results out till what? Well I guess mid-April we’ll get some Montana, Montana, deer, elk back. And then the very last week in April we’ll get New Mexico. Right? Yep. And then generally after that May is giant may for results. Yeah. Toward the end of May and then June, you know, and so it gets fun. This is kind of another, another, I’m looking forward to this next section of the year. Speaking of, yeah. Speaking of what do we have to look, what are you looking forward to? I mean, let’s talk about our own schedules. That’s what I think. Hope that’s off the table. No, it’s not. Well, like wants change every day fully on the table. Okay. Let’s talk about wants and wishes then.
00:27:54:12 –> 00:28:59:23
What are you hoping it to look like? Lots of big bucks. Okay. Wow. That’s, that’s detailed. Well, it’s true. A very detailed response. I’ve got six or seven deer tags already. Really? Yeah. Let’s list them. No, that’s the state. Well, I mean, I think I’ve got a great chance. Let’s just say Utah gonna well you, I’ve got plans. I’ve got plans. You did buy a plans and projects. You did buy an Idaho general. I did. Yeah. I got an Idaho general. You got big plans for that. You know why you can get a percentage refund. Last year I finally got my refund check. I think it was like a 50 percenter. Anyway, they probably held, that’s not a real, it’s an interesting system. They don’t really want you to know that you can give it back. They don’t really want to give it back. But maybe with that, what held in the same escrow account as your tax refund? It’s still gone. It’s still out there. Oh really? Okay. Biden’s plugging and playing with it. But anyway, with that, you know, it does give you options. That’s just, I think that’s the biggest thing is I like tax give options. Yeah. I like the kill too. Right. You were looking to make a kill today. Well, the kill was, I Yeah, you were, you’re gonna apply for bison. You were looking at some Well, that’s not a kill.
00:28:59:24 –> 00:29:59:06
There’s conservation tax was waiting come up that are affordable or whatever. You’re just always on the prowl. Well, I’m always aware of some things. Aware. But in Idaho, yeah, your kill was waiting in line with a queue of 18,000 people looking to kick down. And once you got your chance to do it, you were not gonna say I’ll pass. Well, I mean, you’re gonna buy whatever is on the table. I I was in front of Pollock. That’s all that mattered. He was like number 12,000 something. I was 11,000 something. I’m like, well, let’s just see what happens. And when you start looking at it, you’re like, there’s no way 11,000 people. Well, they don’t all want what you want. It could have been. It’s worth waiting. I’ll bet. A do antelope tag could have been the only tag left after you’re waiting, you’d have bought it. I mighta, Hey, I’ve heard from March bald that antelope’s best meat. No man. Well, and and he came to work today talking about the last package of that antelope is gone. So he did say that this morning. So anyway, I don’t know. I know how to that happen. I know what Jana thinks of antelope. What? And, and, and I’ve had both spectrums. Let’s put it that way. Really. If you had one that you’ve enjoyed, it was awesome. My last one in Wyoming was awesome. Oh yeah.
00:29:59:14 –> 00:31:11:10
How about the 14 Prior to that, I haven’t killed 14. I’ve killed Becky’s no longer a meat eater. She’s, we, we eat a lot of meat. But, but it, it’d be make you laugh how many antelope I’ve shot in my life? Well, you probably shot as many as me. How many? Three. Let me count. Four. Three. I don’t know. Three. I shot ’em. I shot, shot exactly. Three. I’ve shot a few, but I mean, well, I mean, hardly any. Yeah. And that goes back to, one of ’em was I was 15 years old. Really? Yeah. Where? San Juan Hatch. Point in between Monticello and Moab. I shoved it. That was back in the gut gutting days instead of ordering method. Okay. And sh shoved a knife blade in its guts. No, no, no. But best antelope you ever tasted that. Smelled. But my dad, you know, he’s, this is your chin. All right. Here’s I kill the deer or two. And it’s your hey spread lay started gutting it. I reached up there, I grabbed the one pipe and diaphragm and shoved a shard of a rib bone up under my fingernail that felt like, it felt like it went to my elbow. I mean, it was like, when was this 1953? I was 50. I was 1553. How old am I? I’m saying 14 or 50. It’s interesting how you can remember. Think about that. It’s so vivid.
00:31:11:10 –> 00:32:15:25
Because if you’ve ever done that ago or something, I don’t know. It’s longer than that. Wow. 30. 30. Wow. 30 something. Anyway, but I still remember it. So that’s what, that’s what I remember. And that’s the last antelope I’ve ever gutted that way. When was that in comparison to when you learned how your love for apples? Oh, apples was probably, I was eight or 10 years old. So you might as well tell that story. I guess I’ve already told you on a podcast. Oh yeah. Oh, you did it. Yeah. And I don’t wanna read that. You make you green. Green apples make you great. Yeah, I don’t eat gra I don’t eat apples. I don’t like even looking at a raw apple. And if I hear somebody bite into one, I get queasy. Anyway. Well, all right. Sounds good. So where, where are we? Where are we at? Oh, well, personal schedule. So there’s two schedules. You said Utah. ’cause Jason has a lifetime. You’ll gonna have to look for the list of the states because got Idaho. You said six. Think you have a Nevada Land G tag that you’re wondering how the moisture’s gonna, I’ve got, I’m, I’m settled in there. Call, there’s three call or there’s three Colorado. I’m definitely gonna hunt. No, no question. I’m always in Colorado. Okay. So you’re counting that, that as a tag. But I haven’t applied yet.
00:32:15:28 –> 00:33:21:09
But I’ve, I did grab a second choice tag last year. I turned it back, got my refund. Still gained a point. And by, but all that second choice tag did was just an option. Gimme an option. Okay. I know it’s dumb. There’s four. I knew I wasn’t even gonna keep it. There’s four I’m missing to Oh, well I’ll let you say ’em. I thought one, I thought I think I might get something in Arizona. Okay. Possibly on that. But I mean that’s, I applied for Montana. I’m gonna get it no matter what. Oh yeah, there is six. And we’re not even yet, we’re not even counting your three white tail states. What do you mean? So let’s just say Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah. How many is that? Bronson? That was six. Okay. For mules. I could do Wyoming if I want. Okay. That’s seven. And I, I’ve been thinking about it again. So I kind what did you say last year when you got done country and it wasn’t, I I did hunt 10, 11,000 people. Not specific to Wyoming, but after last year when you had about the same number of deer tags. Oh, I was never gonna do it again. That’s what I thought. But part of the kill is getting the opportunity to make some decisions. Okay. And I could turn some of these back. So let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about the turn back options. People wanna know that.
00:33:21:14 –> 00:34:25:04
So we’ve, we’ve covered the kids real quick. Well, real, real quick. And then I want to go in on your schedule. Oh yeah. Okay. And by the way, I’ve got some applications on places for sheep, goat, moose, elk. I’m gonna definitely, I gotta figure out how to, I want to hunt an elk. Yeah. Let’s finish you something I do want about. And then I’ve got antelope of epic proportions. I don’t know. Well, let’s finish your even tag schedule, because this is interesting. I’ve learned, I’m learning as I go. What do you mean? I’ve gotten to Mexico co deer. Okay. Yeah. That’s interesting. I applied aggressively there. You still laugh about it. And then you’re in, you’re gonna hunt white tills in two states. There’s, there’s two deer that people haven’t ever even seen in New Mexico. Yeah. But okay. And there’s certain reservations that welcome you on and they never, ever, I can’t buy my way onto one. Well, huh. I I’ll take it anytime I can get it. But, but I, so there I am. I don’t have any control. I’m not doing anything different than you are. I know that. No, that’s true. I tell tell you the same deadline. It’s how play it’s, and I call the same person as you. It’s, it’s true. It’s true. They just look at my name and go, no, he’s not coming here. I don’t know why I’ve been good to him.
00:34:25:08 –> 00:35:29:10
They probably won’t want to keep some of their big bucks themselves. So, so k dear. Maybe, maybe a couple other exotics. Iowa. Iowa? Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. I’ve got an Iowa tank. Wisconsin. No. Okay. Not doing that Iowa one way. Okay. Doing Iowa. You mentioned elk. What, what are you I don’t doing to try, try to get an elk. I’m not sure I’ve applied aggressively in, in west. I’ve got right now, dunno if I believe that right now. I don’t believe it. So this is what’s cool about Wyoming. So right now I am in, I’m gonna get a Wyoming elk tech, but I would need to go on and make the change. And I love that amend process. I can go on and make the change and, and either withdraw or apply for, yeah. 1 24 January 31st is just get your name in the hat and you can, you can can’t switch. Then you have options from regular to special. You’re in that pool. But, but you can switch units for free of charge up until, what may I wanna say ninth, but don’t quote me. It’s the first week. It is about the ninth. It is anyway, you know, and so for elk, we’re talking Yeah. For elk. And so the cool thing is, is just get in, I did the special draw and then now I’m looking at something I could easily draw with the cheaper tag.
00:35:29:10 –> 00:36:24:19
And I’m just sick about throwing money down the drain. But, but you’ve whatever also, you’ve also, it also gives you, gives you better off general. It does. Does. But generally a special is gonna give you, it does a better shot. It does. And I didn’t know what unit I’d settle on. And that’s what’s cool about Wyoming is you can see, you can even do a little more research for a few months and, and maybe you learn something else or whatever. And you can go on and ’em in nothing you’re, or see how, how your schedule’s tightened up and gotten worse. And now you need to put in for something that, or pull it out altogether. Pull it out or switch something hard. But So you’re what other aggressive that, that is one, I did not know the word aggressive. And you and elk happened this year. Well I, I’d like to kill an absolute giant and you just keep, keep your ear to the ground. It’s hard. Elk are really hard I think. I mean it’s tougher. We get, look at all these deer tags we’re talking about. Go try to get, grab six elk tags. Like I told you that, that are for three 50 bulls. I’ve got a daughter that just, we just wanna kill six point bulls. All right. And, and I’ve told you I don’t really have a lot of time in our schedule. Just go show up in another general.
00:36:25:02 –> 00:37:20:28
So I’ve been trying to draw her something in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho. Yeah. And, and I can’t do it. And she’s letting me know I’m failing it. If she hired me for my own app service, she’d probably fire me. ’cause I haven’t got her note tag. She thinks that, dad, you do this for a living, how can just gimme an note tag? Justin’s the same, Justin’s the same way. He wants an elk. Oh yeah. Yeah. Now I got my boy, he wants to come with a bow. And I’m like, well, anything else? Yeah. What else would you like? Would you like, would you like a sheep? You want two sheep in one year? What do you want? Hey, that’s gonna happen. A desert and Rocky Bronson, you got plans. Well, I mean you and you’ve been, but you guys have been planning on this possible Oh, for 14 years. Oh, not like 18, but yeah, I won’t blow it. But anyway, pretty, pretty cool opportunities. I think that’s also where the Wyoming general comes into play with these kids. Like Wyoming General Elk is a great opportunity for done it before now. But that is a different one than I’m, when I say over the counter, I, I think of my U Utah. We live in Utah. Yeah. She doesn’t want choose. I’m not gonna let her go spike hunting.
00:37:21:00 –> 00:38:20:18
No, our general, you apply her for the, of the general youth, which is a lease gives ru I did did, but she’s 18 now. This the first year I couldn’t put her in for that. That’s right. So that one’s gone. She’s a full grown Yeah. Lady full grown, you know, and there you’re, yeah. And she’s demand. You’re on the full and she’s demanded, demanded she’s the full price. So yeah, you give ’em a little bit of success. They want more. Yeah. Well, so yeah, we’ll see time, time will tell what the, how the rest of it plays out. And then about the turnbacks course. Arizona, you can point guard, dish it back Colorado, you can dish it back. You can gain all your points that you originally had, but not gain one for this year or a refund. Can’t do both. Gotta do it 30 days before the season. In Colorado, Arizona, you can do it right up until the time. And you can only do it one time. Yeah. If you do it one time, the next time you draw a tag for that species, you gotta use it. Yeah. You gotta use it. So anyway, Idaho, you can either not purchase it if it’s a limited draw or return a general, if there’s enough time and they reallocate the generals once a month in April. Prorated like 75% up to this date. 50 this 50.
00:38:20:18 –> 00:39:26:10
After that there’s no, so there’s really no reason to, if you draw an Idaho tag, you just don’t buy the tag. And Idaho had such a tough year last year. It’s hard to believe it’s gonna be incredible, but whatever. I’ve got an op an option and a lot of the big bucks come out of some of these general areas and they later rutt later, you know, meaning October 20th to the 31st in, you know, it’s like 45, 44, whatever. So anyway, you just never know. Some of these are are really good options or have been last year, again, kicked everybody’s butt. Yeah. You know, as far as Nevada, you can turn those back. They got the first come first serve program and crank ’em back. We’ve heard there may be some changes coming to that this year. But we’ll wait to announce those until they actually ratified and happen and come out and print. But, but yeah, basically tags still be able to get tags. Yeah. You can turn your tag up until a couple days before the hunt and gain a point and gain a point. Now though, anybody that turns the tag in within 14 days of the start of the season, they don’t feel like they have enough time. This started last year. Don’t feel like they have enough time to reallocate that to the alternate list.
00:39:26:25 –> 00:40:26:25
So anybody that does that two weeks before the start of any season, they’ve got a website, you just keep checking it. Refreshing watching and pounce on something. If you see something you like, that’s Montana, you’re out the money, New Mexico, you’re out the money, you know, you can’t, nothing you’re doing there. Nothing. Utah, you can give it back. Yep. 30 days. They adopted that a year or so ago. Much like Colorado, it’s gotta be 30 days and you do not get a, it’s just like collar. You do not get a point for the year. So you’re gonna lose kind of stings when you fall one point behind on a, on an elite deer, elk tag, it could signifi years to a weight. Yeah. Especially as a non-resident. So yeah. Wyoming’s pretty final, so That’s right. No options. Yep. You gotta have major. And there’s several of these states that have major military or major medical issue exemptions. But we’re not going into what we’re talking about. I Bronson let’s get personal Where you at? Boss? Loaded. So you, you’re, you’re going north. I I think I’ve said I’ve gone north. I’ve said all year long. I’ve, I’ve had a couple trips they were not supposed to plan up like this.
00:40:27:21 –> 00:41:32:28
Covid has put, brought a couple, couple adventures that are now lined up into the same year, which has really done a number on my August and September for archery deer and archery elk plans that really been blown up. So, so you have a need for I don’t have another doll sheep, right. Burning desire. Well, I, I like hunting. How many? I like hunting sheep, but I, but I, Hey Alaska’s gorgeous. Got this rule. Yeah. That if you go up as a non-resident and you harvest a ram, you can’t even come back for four years. And so the last time I was up there, which is hard to believe, that’s been four years, that was 2018. It’s been four years. So when I left last time, I said, I’ll see you in four years and figured that I’ll save the money and hopefully have legs and mind under my and go do it. So we’re going to do that again, then you’re doing it. Okay, so you’re doing that one and then you’ve got one you planned with your kid. Yeah. Gonna do do, I’m going to the ucom. So I feel really spoiled back to back really spoiled. Really. But again, you’ve also, these were supposed to be saved not the same year either, and payment programs or what? It’s not like you’re just here, here you go. Right. No, you’ve been planning it. Oh yeah. Long time.
00:41:33:02 –> 00:42:34:15
So, but having said that, that changes everything in the lower 48 my whole year. And I, I alluded to it in one of my application strategy articles and I know it’s kinda like, oh, poor, poor you Adam. But, but I’ve had to stay away from a lot. Archery elk is off limits so much so that I’ve already got two states. I’ve burned my points next year. Next year. Which is created opportunity for me because I’ve got you really cheering me on to make these skills. Yeah. Any good elk tag that that comes up or something Carter’s there to, you know. Yeah. Jump on. Hey, I pick that one so I, or or you know, whatever, apply for it or whatever. Yeah. My September’s real really, really bad because of that. I’m, I’m gonna go later into Alaska this year, just decide to do something different. And so it’s blowing up my September and then you come home And then my wife probably kinda like Jason, Jason took his wife to Colorado last year. Time to use, our wives both have 20 something points in some states. Wow. And he took her to Colorado. I’m gonna take mine to Utah this year. Take mine. I mean we live here, but I’m gonna, we’re gonna burn ’em and she should draw a muzzle order tag. So between, which is the end of September.
00:42:34:21 –> 00:43:43:10
So I have like nothing in maybe the first five days, seven days in September I could do something. We between, so you’ve got your wife and children. Yeah. Yourself. Yeah. Your business. You know, you’re gonna be guiding some sheep hunters potentially. I’m just, just wondering how this is gonna play out what’s left. That’s what you’re saying is what’s left. So you’re gonna do deer in Colorado? Of course. You’re not gonna take take me up on the 500 bucks anymore. No. Well, going back to, I can’t do August or September. I knew this last year and I knew this was pending to happen in 20 22, 2 thought I’d throw it out there. So no, I’m going with the rifle this year and I’m gonna take myself and I Okay. And you a daughter, maybe a daughter on a different season and you’re trying to figure out on a different season. So you’re gonna do like I did and I’ve, you’ll end up all three seasons, huh? Second, third, and fourth. Maybe one of ’em is an elk. I don’t know. You know what’s funny? Should we tell the meat, meat wagon story? I mean Oh yeah. This is so I, well, so, okay, so Thanksgiving’s a time of what? Bountiful harvest. Well yeah. And family and friends. Right. And so this is when you get together as a family and I’m like yeah, it’s nothing better than spending it in Colorado four season. Right.
00:43:43:10 –> 00:44:48:13
There’s elk tags to be had deer tags. If you line it up just right. Kids got two or three points. Kids are outta school. Yeah. Kids are outta school. We do an Airbnb, we go over there and I’m like, ugh, we’re gonna kill elk and deer of epic proportions. We’re gonna load 14 three freezers, two, three deer tags and two three elk tags. ’cause a couple of your kids could get leftover four season elk tags, which you draw, but they’re easy and they’re like a hundred bucks. So yeah, why not get, why not, right? Yeah. Yeah. Youth tags are cheap. Did you have your trailer modified before you went open? No, but but I mean, I thought about it because I wanted to have meat hanging in it. Right. This is an a t or a TV side-by-side 16 footer. Enclosed and I threw a bike in there. Four-wheeler meeting, threw a four-wheeler in there. Ramps. I’m thinking, yeah, I’ll stand the ramps up on end. Hang meat from the ramps. I mean, I don’t know. I’m thinking, I mean, you gotta think about these things. It’s not like there’s a meat prosser right there. Right. So anyway, and I got kids that are wanting to kill, they’re killers, but they’ve all killed a bit. I, on the way over there, I start, we start talking and I start realizing these kids are trophy hunters.
00:44:49:07 –> 00:45:58:10
Like, it’s like Bronson, it’s like night and day from the year prior. And I’m like, okay. So they’re trophy hunters. Okay. And we’ve got trucks and ability and glass. I got glass coming out my ears. ’cause every kid needs their own binos. You know, vehicles need their own spotters. They got backpacks. These kids are geared up like, like none. And they’re also, I mean, they’ve had a lifetime. They’re all getting a little bit older. So nobody’s the, there’s no Ashley, little Ashley. She’ll shoot the cleanups. She’ll clean up our junk bucks now. Yeah. She’ll Ashley a cleanup. Well, Ashley’s killed more bucks than any of the boys. Yeah. She’s like 14 or 15 now. Yeah. And they’re all competitive and they’re all talking about what they’re gonna pass and what they’re not gonna kill. Oh yeah. And it was a tough season, right? Remember that? Remember it was a tough season. What’d you kill? Nothing. And guess what? They were happy about it. Like we stayed and they, we saw bucks. Hey, there’s a four point Yeah. Not as good as this from, it’s good as my Wyoming buck. Right? That doesn’t beat it’s right. My Idaho buck butt had a kicker. That’s right. I’m, I’m sitting here going, what? I brought the meat wagon. There’s no meat in the meat wagon. Wagon. You guys could have drove over your car. But yeah, we could have taken our car, saved a lot of money in gas.
00:45:58:26 –> 00:47:07:24
And it’s just, and I’m like, okay, this is serious. So no more like, I don’t mind, like the family gathering was awesome. It was awesome. It was a great experience. It was, it was awesome. But it was hard on old dad. ’cause I’m watching Bucks come and go and I’m thinking let’s get some more bucks and bulls under the belt. Under the belt. And they’re like, that dad, that one’s just not quite good enough. And I’m thinking, you don’t realize how tough a season it’s been. Fourth, they started coming outta the woodwork in this particular area. And so yeah, meat wagon came home. Guess was, guess what was in it? The original bike I put in it and that’s it. Crazy Bunch of game bags. Yeah. But it wasn’t for lack of opportunity. No. They all could have killed it. Just anyway, fun stuff. Fun stuff. But I guess watching our kids grow up, I mean, it’s gratifying as a dad. It’s fun to experience all that. And it’s fun to, they’re all capable. They all have their own guns. They all have optics and, and a lot of this of course is birthdays and Christmases and, and, and some of their own money. But you know, it’s just been many, many years in the making. And now here they are. And, and it’s like hunting for me on every hunt. It’s a grind. So this year it’s a little different. Oh yeah.
00:47:07:24 –> 00:48:04:16
When, when you go, you’ve gotta make it about one, one of them. Oh yeah, you do. And and then now you got boys. You’re all three of your boys are driving and can go and don’t really need you at all. No, they don’t need me. Okay. My boy la starting last year, he was the same way. We’ve already talked about this on a podcast. Well, podcast. Well he killed stuff without year round. Meaning me helping his friends or whatever. And I’ll come home from work and my muzz order’s gone. What, what happened? He took it so you butt it another way. He out was a buddy. I know. And, and they crush a buck. And I don’t even, I can’t even go on How far, how far? Like 260 yard yards. That’s what blows me away. Kids are shooting bucks with muzz ORs at turns. Dial one shot, kill a nice 22 3. Hey dad, we just dial it up about 10 away. One shot, one shot and drilled it. And, and, and I’m like, okay, fun. Bring it home so I can hunt tomorrow. Yeah. And, and I’ve gotten reliant upon my muzzle loader with the scope. ’cause we can use ’em here in Utah. And I had two others, one of which I just brought from back from Colorado. But they’re open sight, you know, do I wanna use that? So Yeah, yeah.
00:48:04:18 –> 00:49:11:24
Anyway, it’s a good problem and it’s a wonderful time in the hills. Look forward to it. My boys fired up. I know Jason’s kids are too, because I don’t know, they, they want to try to improve upon what they’ve already done or do something they haven’t done. My boy’s got a big goal to break of 180 buck. That’s his big goal. And he wants to kill an elk with a bow. Which then again, how do you get ’em an archery elk tag That’s worth it. I mean, I may end up hunting the general, just the tag alone. But then, and then knock, knock and then have it together, then knock down a 180. You start calling. Well, jeez. Or or a five or six point bull with a bow. I’m not talking a cow or a spike. He wants to shoot a branch soler both a bow. We will be hunting the general this year in Utah. If that doesn’t happen because I, I don’t know what else I’m gonna do. I’ve applied him aggressively, as Jason says, for some archery elk tax and we’ll see what happens. Yeah. Well so about your schedule. So you’re doing Colorado deer? Yes. What are we at? No, I, Utah. I’ve got Utah. I applied for Montana. I have a chance to get a, a special elk tag only because, you know, five or six points is, you know, maybe where you might expect to get one.
00:49:11:25 –> 00:50:12:05
But we’ll see, we’ll know in a few weeks on that Nevada, like you, I’ve kind of got a landowner tag held now. But it gives me an option. It gives me an option of whether I want to use that and evaluate. I forgot that you’ve got that tag reserved. Yeah, you’ve got one too. So same, same thing. Well, but if I draw something, I can’t wait to sell it. I love the kill. Well, you, you’d like to grab a tag and then like to have it and you like to I get rid of it. Catch and release. I love it. You love I love it. I so just lemme know what that I’ve, that as an option. But, but I mean, depending on what I draw, I’m very top heavy on points in Arizona, which that’s not, I’ve really steered clear of that. The last couple dry drought years for the most part. But I don’t think this year’s gonna be that. So maybe if I drew an Arizona or something elite, I would, I would wipe my schedule out for well that affects my schedule. Well you have that. There’s a couple of tags that Yeah. Are pretty, pretty important. Yeah. And that would change my life too. Yeah. So, so Idaho, I mean I I I’ll probably apply for deer and elk up there. I mean, how can you not?
00:50:12:10 –> 00:51:18:17
I think it’s, well I know it’s been a much be better snow year in most of those years up there. Precip I think should be better. Range conditions won’t be as bad. Where else we’re at Utah, they’re dealing, still dealing with, they’re still dealing with, you know, trying to come back from the 20 16, 20 17 winter. But, but, but having said that, it can’t, can’t be worse than last year. It’s gotta be better. That’s right. Utah. I’m not expecting anything except for my wife’s tag. I’ve tied, it’s a big enough tag. 20 plus points for deer. We’re gonna, we’re gonna try to make that happen. And I’m optimistic it’s gonna be a good year. Wyoming’s kind of one of those. I’ve got enough antelope points I could use if I want to. If I have something to fill the gap. I’ll wait till the last few days of May to decide on the deer and the deer in the antelope there. So I don’t know if we wanna jump into mentoring for the kids. Yeah, there’s a there, we’ve had guys do it in Arizona. Yep. There’s, there’s a couple states that you can do it There you, well Arizona’s been probably the first and the longest established. You can do that. What parent or grandparent draws a tag? Yeah, you can mentor that to your youth. They actually basically sign the whole tag over. It is their tag now.
00:51:20:12 –> 00:52:29:27
And there’s, it’s a pretty simple process to do that. And so if you draw a tag, you wanna mentor it to your child or grandchild, you can call game and fish down there, work through that process. I like Utah’s program. You can mentor it and you can both go hunting. Yeah. Utah’s a little bit different. Utah if draw the tag Now this applies to the resident youth. The youth. Yeah. The youth has to be a resident, a Utah resident. It’s kind of a weird quirk. If you’re a non-resident and you draw a tag, you can’t mentor it to your non-resident kid. But you could res you could mentor it to a resident. Yeah. So if something wants to give one of you draws a tag one to give it to one of Jason, nice kids would love to work with you on that. Just, just teasing. They got their share tags. Just a shout out. But, but Utah, yeah. Your tag remains yours. You sign up your youth as a mentor, you technically can both actually carry a gun. You can only punch or tag on one animal, but it’s a little bit different. So let’s say your kid can hunt opening weekend ’cause of school and you don’t see anything. It’s not like, hey, that tag’s wasted. You can hunt yourself the rest of the hunt for yourself. You both, it’s still your tag, your youth just can hunt with you.
00:52:30:08 –> 00:53:34:24
Has to be right there with you at all times. The person that actually transfers the tag to the youth has to be president. That is different than Arizona. That’s right. In Utah, if your wife or your grandma or something like that transfer, they’ve gotta be right there with the youth on the hunt. It. They don’t just sign it over to them and they go hunt. So. That’s right. Idaho has a similar thing. You can mend it to your kids except they excluded them once in lifetime species up there a few years ago. Too many people. Which makes sense. Yeah. So just for deer, elk and antelope, you can mentor tag to youth in Idaho as well. Yeah. And I, I think that’s it. I’m going completely off the cuff from memory, but I think that’s, that’s it. A couple shout outs I want to give then since I am preparing, I, I do have, I maybe mentioned before, red Rock Precision. Kurt and the guys there have been partners from us from day one here at Epic Outdoors. We appreciate their support of us. They build awesome guns. We’ve all bought one and used them every single year. I’ve got another one, a six five PRC and being built right now. Mainly because my brother doesn’t share, share the one we already have together very well. He has that gun and I want one. Okay.
00:53:34:24 –> 00:54:45:23
We went in, when you go and have these on something like that with your brother sounds good on paper. Yeah. Until you don’t live in the same town or whatnot. And he’s, I I shot it at a shooting school, one of Kurt’s shooting schools and it was awesome. Lend it to him. And I haven’t seen it since. So I said, hey, we need to go have these on another gun so I can have one pay out. So looking forward to it. But check ’em [email protected]. They, you know, whether you’re after a sheep gun, like I’m specifically looking for a lightweight sheep gun to hunt sheep with or mountain game or even I, I’m using it for deer and everything like that. Or kids. It’s just a great all around gun. Or you’re look after something that’s more of an all around, you know, 28, 30 caliber. They can do it. So give, give Kurt a call or check ’em out on Red Rock precision.com. So we got some pretty cool, don’t wanna let the cat out of the bag. Oh yeah. But there is a maybe a something brewing in the something brewing. Firearms department. Firearms department with Epic Outdoors. Yeah. All right, we’ll leave it at that. It’ll leave it at that now. But anyway, the little shout out triples Polaris, Colton Francis and the boys down there at triple triples, super good people selling side-by-sides. Geez. They sell generators side-by-sides.
00:54:46:01 –> 00:55:58:09
Electric bikes now four wheelers, three wheel players. You know the the ones we all used to drive and No, I’m talking, talking about the two wheels that front a car. Oh those, the spider. Yeah. Kenny. Get those in Chris. I mean just crazy. I He does about, I believe so. Trust me, if you want it done, Colton will take care of you. I know. They’ll service us about anything. So even if it’s not a Polaris, they’ll service us. Yeah, pretty much. Whatever You got good people. Give ’em a holler. 4 3, 5, 8, 6 5 0 100. You can check ’em out. Triple S Polaris. We appreciate them and their support here at Epic Outdoors. Another one, Bronson, if you didn’t video it, it didn’t happen. That’s right. You know it goes along with our optics plug that we did a little bit ago. If you’ve got a spotting scope or a new spotting scope or a new phone or just have a need to upgrade your digi scoping mechanism, check out the folks at phone scope, you know, get you a new phone case or new adapter that fits either your vinyls, your BTX, your spotting scope I piece, whatever it is. Check ’em out at phone scope P-H-O-N-E-S-K-O-P e.com and be ready to go before scouting starts. Because I mean, I don’t know, we can’t live without these now.
00:55:58:09 –> 00:57:03:18
It’s just simply the way, the way things are done now in terms of scouting, being able to photo and video, you know what you’re seeing and whether you got a client with you or whether it’s just you and you wanna share and get your buddies fired up to go a spot spot for you to kill the giant that you just found. So you might need to entice him if you just tell ’em it’s not gonna be the same as showing ’em. That’s right. Well Bronson, this I want, I want to change it up. A lot of times when we get done with the advertisement, everybody thinks it’s done and I want to change that. Oh yeah. So I wanna save, save the best for last. I want the hunting story off of your Idaho 200 incher. And this way we can keep this podcast going and maybe even hear how you smashed a giant in the worst year. We’ve seen in a long time. Well, I guess, yeah, for all you people that tuned out once the ad started being read, you’re gonna miss this story. A little bonus item phone, where do you wanna start? Well I would say, because I, you went, do you want me to go day by day? ’cause that takes about 25 days. No, I don’t.
00:57:03:23 –> 00:58:11:24
’cause it was went like this day one, I scratched my truck a lot and went through lots of lava day two lots more lava in a few bucks day. Three small bucks, more lava, more scratching. Day four, orange paint everywhere. Left in the state of Idaho. Day five. Went back to the motel, licked my winds, watched some sports. Day six went back, enjoyed more lava. Go ahead, take, take it from there. From there to about day 22 was the same. You saw bulls. Oh I saw a bull. All kinds of wildlife game. And I did see a lot of deer but you know, had a special tag and we’re just gonna hold out for a special buck or eat my tag. It’s one of those that, you know, if you draw an elite tag somewhere, this the type of tag you don’t need just punch to punch because you know you’re hunting it for the potential. And if it went away and I didn’t get it, then that’s what it was. You drew a super tag. Yeah. So that allows you to hunt. Not like a governor attack. That’s any open season, right? Yeah. It’s just the open season with the appropriate weapon. So I mean, I did go up in archery season. It was more as a glorified scouting trip in, in, in August, you know, mid to late August. I can’t remember exactly when it was.
00:58:12:17 –> 00:59:17:19
Archery was open in a couple of units and I had a bow with me. But I was really just learning units because yeah, when you’re, you’re able to, you know, you had to narrow your search a little bit. Even though you can hunt statewide, you’re gonna hunt, you’re gonna hunt where, where it’s most likely. And the writing was on the wall by mid to late summer Idaho had had a super dry summer. It was droughty big time drought. And they were also, yeah, like we’ve talked about lot like young bucks recovering from a heavy winter four or five years prior to that. Yeah. Whatever it had been. So, you know, sometimes you get gifts and they come outta nowhere and you make something of ’em even though you know the stars aren’t perfectly aligned. So I hunted my guts out. Like you alluded in a lot of law in the core desert country of Idaho where it has, you know, archery and muzzle loader and rifle seasons that go through late August, September and till the end of October. And your boy had an elk tag also. Yeah. He drew a limited control elk tag for one of those units in October. So he’s lucky up there. I’m not gonna lie. No, he has, I apply my kids like crazy. He’s drawn like crazy. Yeah, he’s drawn a couple good tags and so he was able to come up there.
00:59:17:19 –> 01:00:16:16
Unfortunately I didn’t have to come home and get him. I was getting my butt kicked. Did he get to drive the big jacked up power wagon? He did bring that up. Yeah. He did bring it. ’cause that’s when he brought up my side-by-side. Imagine being a kid in high school with a, a truck with 30 seconds. You and a buddy. You and your buddy with a gas card, with a power wagon with the, with the, that’s the best thing ever. Side-by-side. Yes. Heading outta state. I mean, geez. And I, I was, I was nervous other than it was, was he pulling the trailer? Oh yeah. Geez. I would, he’d he brought it up. I haven’t let my kids do that. He, he brought it up. Wow. But anyway, it was, and then when he had it up there, then I was gonna let him drive the empty power wagon back home. ’cause I had the ZR two. I love those little trucks. And they got an air conditioner when it’s hot. Okay. And they got a really good heater when it’s cold. But they also do get around incredibly well. But anyway, yeah, he came up mid-October. It was like a four day weekend and it hadn’t rained or stormed in a long time. And it was like a literal like, well you kept calling and saying, where are the elk? Where are the elk? I haven’t seen it is hot.
01:00:16:16 –> 01:01:14:27
And it was like, I don’t know what to say. Hot dry. They were here, here, here, here. They’re, they’re not, they’re not. They had no snow. Even other people, locals had collaborated and it was a tough year. Yeah. Hot, hot dry, dusty year. Yeah. And then here he is a four day weekend. He’s able to come up there. The first day and a half to two days looked okay then it was gonna be an unbelievable storm for about two to three days of rain. And I said, we really only got about two days. So we, we crushed him and I six point bull in two days on the second evening right as it was getting rainy. We got back to the truck cut loose the next day he decided to stay. He is gonna stay up with me and hunt deer for a couple days. Look around. And I sent him home on Sunday because I’m like, this, this is, it was, it was a deluge of of wetness. It was incredible. But we had a great time. Killed a nice six point bull. He found a moose shed. I think he was more excited about the moose shed walking to his dead bull than he was the bull. I didn’t even remember that. Yeah. He found his moose. Shed walking up a good one. Literal. Yeah. Nice, nice bull. Geez. Yeah. Walking literally like a hundred yards from his dead bull.
01:01:15:05 –> 01:02:15:18
I didn’t even know that. Okay. So it was pretty fun. So that was a good trip. But then I had about the last week of October on my own, this is the time of year or two that everybody else is busy. You’re, you, you know, everybody’s hunting. Utah general, they’ve got kids. Colorado is brewing at this time. I got down to the end of October, still didn’t punch a tag. And so then you’re left with November. And with a few exceptions you’ve got 22 and 40 and a few units that have November rifle seasons. But you’ve also then have most of in central or eastern Idaho general season units that close the end of of October. But then they drop open up five to 10 total tags in in November. Yeah. And so I could hunt them, but once again now kinda like down here on our late muzzles Yeah. For here in Utah. Yeah. They do go much later up there. But it’s the same principle. They just got been done down and down here. Our general’s not over the counter, but it’s managed similarly. Yeah. You, they get hunted the, the crap out of ’em hard. Yeah. And then all of a sudden, okay, here’s five guys or 10 guys that get hunt ’em in November and now you can cream the cream. Yeah.
01:02:15:24 –> 01:03:13:12
So what I really did at that point is I realized, you know, let things, you know, build, I just hunted the best units till the end of October at some point you can’t make it happen. Yeah. So I went home, I took my, took my kid and one of my daughters both to Colorado second and third season to win dad of the year. And knowing you have an incredible tag up there. Yeah, yeah. You’re, you’ve got, you’re anxious, you’re feeling anxiety. Yeah. I’m anxious. You’re trying to win, like you said dad of the year. Well, and they’d burned points and, and you know what, I’m not gonna turn ’em back. No. Because this is their hunting. Well my daughter especially that one, you know, it’s like her one hunt with that’s with me for the year. That’s right. I’m not gonna back out that. So it’s, and you got bucks rutting and breeding in Idaho. Yeah. Yeah. And luckily had ruts bucks, Rud and breeding in Colorado and we a hundred about 15 minutes. That’s perfect. And came home smashed nice buck. It was awesome. Yeah. Shot her a nice buck. She’s happy. And anyway, had a, had a good time on both those stunts. But this is also the time that all of you guys are second and third season, you’re all there. It’s just the time of year that, you know, most of my whole year in ca in Idaho was all by myself.
01:03:13:21 –> 01:04:17:12
I had a, I had a couple yeah. Times with my boy, but everybody little bit, a little bit little local. Some locals I ran into. Yeah. And that ran out when the October seasons ran out. Yeah. So now I’m literally about on my own. So it’s about what Carter I wanna say 14th, 15th. I’m done with Colorado. Wind it open last year. The 13th. Yeah. We killed her about the 13th. We literally drove home that night. I, I probably regrouped and I headed for Idaho the next day. So 14th, 15th. I’m back up there and I’m, I’ve got, I’ve got about 10 days before Thanksgiving and my mom had a family reunion for Thanksgiving that if I missed I would be outta the family’s. That’s right. So pressure’s building. Yeah. And it, but hey, I’m hunting bucks in the route. So I went up there and immediately started seeing a lot of, I went to a new area I’d never been before, seeing a lot of deer. Saw three or four wolves that first full morning there and about killed one of those. I didn’t really actually get on the gun, but I thought I had ’em dead to rights in this canyon. They’d run over this ridge chasing after a coyote. And I thought this thing’s toast. I run up the ridge and I never see ’em again. ’cause you know, wolves can cover the ground. Oh geez. Yeah. I never saw ’em again.
01:04:17:12 –> 01:05:22:05
But that was exciting. But then just bit by bit just, you know, chipping away at stuff, inventorying bucks and found this buck probably, oh, on the 17th or 18th, something like that in November. And I first saw it, I’m like, dude, this is it. And then I saw the one side and he’s got a, a big single G two in the back, but he’s got a couple cheaters off it, two or three cheaters coming off it. And he’s got a tripod off his front fork on that side. But he still didn’t have a normal G three. The other side had a big four point side with a couple cheaters. And I’m thinking, I don’t know, I just, he, he had a big frame. He was as big as deer as I’d seen. I, I figured he was high one nineties, something like that. But he just wasn’t, he just bugged me that he had a three point frame on the one side despite having a pitch for it in the front and three cheaters on the, on the single G two side. So I just took some video of ’em. Anyway, that night at home, I think I shared y’all some video and sent it all to everybody. And I remember a couple of you, it was also at the time some of you guys had just done here, here’s the video was sent November 18. I just found it.
01:05:22:08 –> 01:06:25:18
So some of you guys had been hunting Nevada, namely like Archibald and Pollock and then went to Colorado, of course Colorado, Chris. And heard Josh and crushed bucks. You know, they were great bucks. But everybody else was in Colorado. We just got done with third season and it wasn’t incredible. You just got done seeing a couple good bucks, decided not to shoot a minute. Got tough Archibald Chris, you went with Archibald and Wyatt. It was a tough hunt with them. Well they, a couple of ’em were crapping when I send this video instead. I hadn’t shot the book. And I’m like, you know, just, well I told you, look at those bases. There’s something, there’s more going on than we can see. Yeah. And I had other footage that I taken that I didn’t send you that actually showed more down on the hairline in the black. I’m like, he’s got, he’s got crap down there. I don’t know what it is. Well, I still was learning that an area, and it’s also deep, it’s November and there’s not a lot of snow and it’s a three by four frame. Yeah. You know, and it just, so there’s all these, all these things that bothered me. But then realizing the years. Yeah. So then I just kept looking for that, that whole next day and, and or the remainder of that day and then the whole next day.
01:06:25:18 –> 01:07:25:09
And then I was like, all right about midday that day I’m thinking maybe I need to go get a better look. ’cause that there was probably a, a good mile. Oh, I told you a long ways away a look too. That video, that video footage was on 70 powers stretched with my phone scope as Yeah. As far as it can stretch. So that, that’s all I could give. So I went back the next day and got closer and I’m like, okay. My first time I’m like, oh, he looked bigger and he was probably only 1200 yards. And he went away, batted down doing a draw. And I, I couldn’t see him anymore. And I’m like, I’m all by myself again. And I’m like, I hate doing this, but you’re gonna have to leave. You’re gonna be blind for a couple of hours getting off here, driving around, hiking up in the canyon. And you know, I hadn’t decided a hundred percent that I’d kill him, but I’m like, I definitely need to get in his wheelhouse and see what he does for me. Yeah. Which usually means for me, I’m gonna kill him because I usually, well usually when you set off to do, to go get a closer look, it’s dying. Yeah. ’cause you’re right, just off of the day, you’re writing off the rest of whatever you’re doing that day and investing, getting close. Yep.
01:07:25:13 –> 01:08:21:09
And as long as he doesn’t underwhelm you when you get there, as long as he is as good as what you’ve already determined in your mind. And by then I’d seen basal points. I’d seen him this with my, this deer iss dead and doesn’t even know him. Yeah. I get down there and I crest the ridge when he should be in the draw before me. And I look, I look up on the open face at about 600 yards and I see two deer walking and I pull up my bins and I’m huffing and puffing and I can see a, a dough with a big buck trailing her. And that’s exactly what it was. He was trailing a dough when I left her. And he’s seven, 800 yards from where I left him. And he’s about to go around a ridge. So now, and that’s never, never land. I’m, I’m ri ripping out my scope. ’cause I just gotta see I’m breath, I gotta see, gimme the bases. Any, any distinguishing Yeah. Point. I need to see the tripod or whatever. And I get that scope on him and I can tell it’s him. I throw down, I bipods out, I arrange it. It’s dead on 600 yards, which go, I had my six five PRCA different one. So I dealt dead on 600 yards, dead on. I’m prone out. It’s just a perfect setup, no wind.
01:08:21:19 –> 01:09:19:06
And I shoot and he just drops in his tracks and, and it was, I mean, he literally just dropped like a ton of, ton of crap. Wow. And so then, and I just, I think told my brother, Hey, I’m gonna go look at this buck and you know, we’ll see. And I walked up to the buck, and this is probably two hours later, and I said, dead buck. And he’s like, whoa, I thought you’re going to look at it. I says, I did. I looked at him. He looked good. So very steep hill. Walked up to him, had a bunch more basal characteristic points. It was just really, really cool. Put him a little over 200 inches, like 2 0 3 in change as he is. And he had about four to five inches of broken points. So very happy with the way it turned out. I’m glad I shot it because it was a rough year in Idaho. It was, it was a, it was a great, well he was like, well he was like an old deer. Oh, he was, he was an old ancient, he was a big deer. He was a it was an old deer. All he was maybe gonna be all, he could definitely eek out last year was exactly what he had. But it was, it was cool. Ended well packing off the mountain that, that night, static.
01:09:19:12 –> 01:10:00:25
Got home late, late and spent the night and drove home the next day. That’s awesome. So anyway. All right. Little bit of little, let’s call it bonus footage. Little something on the end for everybody. Maybe we’ll do that a little more often. All right. Well that’s about it. Should we go out and see how the, how the rain’s doing? Got puddles? Yep. Puddles mean big bust. At Epic Outdoors, we help you reach your hunting dreams. Whether it’s helping you to develop a long-term application strategy, or finding the perfect outfitter for your next hunt. As a member of Epic Outdoors, you’ll also receive the Epic Outdoors Magazine and have access to the best hunting consultants in the industry, online tools, and more. To join Epic Outdoors, visit epic outdoors.com or call 4 3 5 2 6 3 0 7 7 7.
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