1 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:18,750 Today's guest works with on X, a premier hunting navigation tool that you can 2 00:00:18,750 --> 00:00:22,260 download on your phone, use on your computer, and if you're a Silvercore Club 3 00:00:22,260 --> 00:00:27,210 member, you've already heard him share some of his insider tips on the outpost. 4 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,600 He's talked about some of the biggest lessons he's learned in the field. 5 00:00:30,900 --> 00:00:35,880 Mistakes new hunters should avoid how to handle pressure on public land, 6 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,615 and even his go-to advice for how to prepare for backcountry hunts. 7 00:00:40,339 --> 00:00:44,000 If you are a member and you haven't tuned into the outpost yet, you're 8 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,830 missing out, log into Silver core.ca, go to your club portal and you can 9 00:00:48,830 --> 00:00:51,290 download your personal podcast link. 10 00:00:51,860 --> 00:00:54,860 If you're not a member, head over to silver core.ca. 11 00:00:54,860 --> 00:00:58,069 We can learn how you can join the Silver Core Club and get access 12 00:00:58,069 --> 00:01:01,940 to exclusive content like this and all of the other member perks. 13 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,539 Now, one last thing before we get rolling with this podcast. 14 00:01:05,870 --> 00:01:10,340 If you enjoy listening to this Silver Core podcast and you want to see it grow, 15 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:12,860 I'm gonna ask you to do me a huge favor. 16 00:01:13,340 --> 00:01:17,330 Take a screenshot of a review that you've left for this Silver Core 17 00:01:17,330 --> 00:01:20,539 Podcast on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify. 18 00:01:20,810 --> 00:01:25,940 Send it on in to info@silvercore.ca with your mailing address, and I'm gonna 19 00:01:25,940 --> 00:01:28,460 send you a free Silver Core sticker. 20 00:01:29,039 --> 00:01:29,850 As a thank you. 21 00:01:30,660 --> 00:01:34,110 Now, without further ado, let's get on with this podcast. 22 00:01:34,470 --> 00:01:38,130 He grew up in the wide open country of eastern Montana, chasing 23 00:01:38,130 --> 00:01:41,550 adventure with his dad and building a lifelong passion for hunting. 24 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:46,560 Today, he channels that same passion into his work with On X, where he 25 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,399 spent nearly a decade helping shape the way hunters connect with the land 26 00:01:50,399 --> 00:01:52,410 through technology and storytelling. 27 00:01:52,770 --> 00:01:57,000 From epic hunts to his role in OnX leading Western big game marketing, 28 00:01:57,270 --> 00:02:00,389 his work has left a lasting mark on the hunting community. 29 00:02:00,929 --> 00:02:03,720 Welcome to the Silver Corp podcast, Dylan Dowson. 30 00:02:05,039 --> 00:02:05,429 Thank you. 31 00:02:05,429 --> 00:02:07,440 Thanks for, uh, thank you for the introduction. 32 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,680 That was a heck of an introduction, and thank you for, uh, for having me on. 33 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,530 It's always good to, good to talk a little hunting, and, uh, 34 00:02:13,530 --> 00:02:16,260 especially this time of year, I'm, I'm excited that it's coming Quick. 35 00:02:17,445 --> 00:02:18,885 Yeah, we're gearing up, aren't we? 36 00:02:18,915 --> 00:02:22,725 Well, it was, it was Joe Appel friend of mine in the Squamish area who 37 00:02:22,725 --> 00:02:28,005 actually put me on to you and onto on X. 'cause uh, prior to that it was 38 00:02:28,005 --> 00:02:31,274 something that I'd kinda looked at and I thought, ah, this is only for Americans. 39 00:02:31,274 --> 00:02:34,575 And, uh, being a Canadian, what has this got to do for me? 40 00:02:34,635 --> 00:02:38,475 And well, sure enough, you guys are in Canada too, and it works amazing. 41 00:02:38,804 --> 00:02:42,165 And you got some pretty cool features that are, uh, that are kind of fun. 42 00:02:42,225 --> 00:02:45,584 But, um, well let, let's get this thing kind of rolling. 43 00:02:45,614 --> 00:02:49,635 Why don't you tell me a little bit about what got you into the outdoor 44 00:02:49,635 --> 00:02:54,015 space and into OnX, and then we can start sharing some hunting adventures. 45 00:02:54,765 --> 00:02:55,755 Yeah, I love it. 46 00:02:55,815 --> 00:02:59,625 Um, like you said in the intro, I, I grew up in Eastern Montana. 47 00:03:00,285 --> 00:03:03,495 Where hunting and fishing and just the outdoor lifestyle in 48 00:03:03,495 --> 00:03:05,835 general is, it's easy to get into. 49 00:03:05,835 --> 00:03:06,165 Right? 50 00:03:06,285 --> 00:03:10,755 I am very fortunate and blessed that I did not grow up in an area that there 51 00:03:10,755 --> 00:03:13,065 was strong barriers to get into it. 52 00:03:13,425 --> 00:03:18,525 I mean, heck, I've shot some, some of my best animals within five, 10 miles 53 00:03:18,525 --> 00:03:20,115 from, from the town I grew up in. 54 00:03:20,115 --> 00:03:23,685 So there wasn't a big barrier of entry of like, yeah, you gotta, you 55 00:03:23,685 --> 00:03:26,805 know, apply for these tags and then if you get them you can go hunting. 56 00:03:26,805 --> 00:03:29,205 It was just like something, something we just did. 57 00:03:29,205 --> 00:03:29,415 Right. 58 00:03:29,415 --> 00:03:30,255 It was a way of life. 59 00:03:30,645 --> 00:03:35,055 Uh, and that's, that's what I grew up doing and very, very fortunate to do that. 60 00:03:35,055 --> 00:03:38,175 But yeah, Eastern Montana, I mean, primarily over there. 61 00:03:38,175 --> 00:03:43,425 I grew up mul, deer, whitetail hunting, um, antelope hunting as well. 62 00:03:43,425 --> 00:03:46,215 And then I, I kind of cut my teeth on elk hunting. 63 00:03:46,965 --> 00:03:50,355 Shoot, I was probably 11, 12, the first elk hunt that I went on. 64 00:03:50,685 --> 00:03:53,085 Um, and just right away was hooked, right? 65 00:03:53,085 --> 00:03:53,355 Like. 66 00:03:53,984 --> 00:03:57,045 The age old question, if you could pick one animal, what would it be? 67 00:03:57,045 --> 00:03:59,234 For me, it would have to be elk with a bow in my hand. 68 00:03:59,565 --> 00:04:01,424 Um, pretty, pretty tough to beat that. 69 00:04:01,424 --> 00:04:04,545 I still remember the day that I heard my very first beagle, and it 70 00:04:04,545 --> 00:04:08,415 was one of those mornings that was just like chaos and just magical 71 00:04:08,415 --> 00:04:10,785 that you, you strive for every year. 72 00:04:11,084 --> 00:04:14,685 And I mean, that night I heard my first bugle and I think I heard my a 73 00:04:14,685 --> 00:04:16,635 hundred 50th bugle in that same night. 74 00:04:16,695 --> 00:04:18,974 Just crazy, crazy evening. 75 00:04:19,305 --> 00:04:22,275 So anyways, uh, needless to say, I was beyond hooked on, 76 00:04:22,664 --> 00:04:23,955 on elk hunting specifically. 77 00:04:23,955 --> 00:04:27,255 But uh, yeah, I grew up in my hunting. 78 00:04:27,405 --> 00:04:32,325 When I grew up it was pretty secluded to Eastern Montana, you know, if it wasn't, 79 00:04:33,075 --> 00:04:36,975 you know, two, three hour drive for an elk hunt, it was right close to home base. 80 00:04:37,455 --> 00:04:41,775 And now one of the things, you know, as I have expanded and especially 81 00:04:41,775 --> 00:04:45,225 working with Onyx and the opportunities that's brought me to hunt other states. 82 00:04:45,570 --> 00:04:48,719 Uh, to come up into Canada a few different times. 83 00:04:49,020 --> 00:04:53,099 Um, Alaska did Hawaii this year, went down to Mexico this year. 84 00:04:53,099 --> 00:04:53,969 Hunt KZ deer. 85 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:58,409 I mean, just my, my hunting has expanded from, okay. 86 00:04:58,409 --> 00:05:03,150 Montana has a lot of really cool opportunities to, you know, we have some 87 00:05:03,150 --> 00:05:07,229 of the tools even to draw, you know, whether it's draw odds and application 88 00:05:07,229 --> 00:05:09,120 stuff for all the other states. 89 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,349 Like, I now have the, the tools and the means and, and the drive, I 90 00:05:13,349 --> 00:05:17,310 guess I would call it, to apply to other states and to hunt new species 91 00:05:17,310 --> 00:05:18,659 and to hunt new areas and stuff. 92 00:05:18,659 --> 00:05:22,020 So, um, yeah, it's been, it's been a pretty wild ride. 93 00:05:22,049 --> 00:05:25,500 Um, actually just about a week ago, I crossed my 10 years working 94 00:05:25,500 --> 00:05:29,310 here at OnX, so a lot has changed in the last 10 years of OnX. 95 00:05:29,310 --> 00:05:33,870 When I started, it was relatively small company, um, you know, 20, 96 00:05:33,870 --> 00:05:37,979 30 folks that worked here and now it's, uh, it's really blown up and 97 00:05:37,979 --> 00:05:40,020 has, uh, a ton of employees and. 98 00:05:40,605 --> 00:05:43,785 We're do, we're able to do cool things now, like be in Canada, right? 99 00:05:43,785 --> 00:05:44,235 Um mm-hmm. 100 00:05:44,565 --> 00:05:50,415 We found a, a need for folks in, in the States and we're like, we can find some, 101 00:05:50,655 --> 00:05:54,825 some data for Canada and provide that product and, and, uh, whatnot to you 102 00:05:54,825 --> 00:05:56,505 guys, our, our good friends up north. 103 00:05:56,505 --> 00:05:59,745 So yeah, it's, it's been a pretty cool, pretty cool decade working 104 00:05:59,745 --> 00:06:02,145 here at OnX and, and getting to do some awesome things. 105 00:06:03,045 --> 00:06:05,745 Well, what do you think the secret to the OnX growth has been? 106 00:06:05,805 --> 00:06:09,585 Has marketing and storytelling been an, an integral part of that? 107 00:06:10,485 --> 00:06:11,235 It really has. 108 00:06:11,235 --> 00:06:11,565 Yeah. 109 00:06:11,565 --> 00:06:14,895 And, uh, when I started, actually, I started out in customer service. 110 00:06:15,285 --> 00:06:18,675 It was like the job opening at the time, and, and I took it, right? 111 00:06:18,675 --> 00:06:21,405 So I was the, the single person on the phones. 112 00:06:21,810 --> 00:06:22,409 Emails. 113 00:06:22,409 --> 00:06:24,570 There was like one other guy that would help out when we got real 114 00:06:24,570 --> 00:06:27,659 busy, but there's a good chance, you know, if somebody had bought 115 00:06:27,659 --> 00:06:31,710 the chip or at that stage, the, the app on the phone was very early. 116 00:06:32,039 --> 00:06:34,890 Um, if they had questions or anything, I was a person they 117 00:06:34,890 --> 00:06:36,150 were talking to back in the day. 118 00:06:36,150 --> 00:06:40,080 So, um, you know, I wasn't always on the marketing side, but needless to 119 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:44,580 say, I say that because you know how much we've expanded from that day. 120 00:06:44,580 --> 00:06:46,950 We had one customer service rep at the time. 121 00:06:47,340 --> 00:06:51,300 Now we hire a bunch of seasonal help as well, but I don't know, it's probably 122 00:06:51,900 --> 00:06:54,599 40 plus folks just in customer service. 123 00:06:54,840 --> 00:06:55,860 Um, wow. 124 00:06:56,010 --> 00:06:59,849 And, and yeah, I think part of that is that the marketing and storytelling and, 125 00:07:00,390 --> 00:07:04,380 you know, the adoption of the product, but a big part of that is just the flywheel 126 00:07:04,380 --> 00:07:07,650 of, you know, I, I give it a try, right? 127 00:07:07,650 --> 00:07:12,150 If you and I are hunting buddies and I try something that is, you know, very, 128 00:07:12,150 --> 00:07:17,280 very impactful in, in the way that I hunt and it lets me go hunt new areas 129 00:07:17,284 --> 00:07:21,300 and you see that as my hunting buddy and I'm either a gonna be like, Hey. 130 00:07:22,020 --> 00:07:25,050 You have to download this because I'm trying to send you a way point, 131 00:07:25,110 --> 00:07:28,380 um, you know, to where we're gonna meet up at this trailhead in the 132 00:07:28,380 --> 00:07:31,890 dark that you've never been to and without this way point, you know, it's 133 00:07:31,890 --> 00:07:33,810 gonna be chaos without cell service. 134 00:07:34,140 --> 00:07:34,765 Um mm-hmm. 135 00:07:34,845 --> 00:07:40,470 All the way to, you know, maybe I go on a hunt in a different area and find success 136 00:07:40,740 --> 00:07:42,360 and like, how did you go find that spot? 137 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,710 I tell you, OnX, you download it, you tell three friends, they tell three friends. 138 00:07:46,710 --> 00:07:50,430 And, and it really has just kind of created that flywheel of, um, 139 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:52,590 you know, 10 years, 10 years ago. 140 00:07:53,100 --> 00:07:55,800 A lot of folks still use the product and, and relied on it. 141 00:07:55,800 --> 00:08:00,630 But today it's kind of becoming one of those things where I'm going hunting. 142 00:08:00,630 --> 00:08:04,050 I need my, my rifle and my boots and my orange and I 143 00:08:04,050 --> 00:08:05,520 better have my onyx downloaded. 144 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:07,860 'cause if not, it's gonna be a, a pretty tough hunt. 145 00:08:09,270 --> 00:08:11,010 You know, I, I love technology. 146 00:08:11,010 --> 00:08:15,060 I love learning new things as they come out, but I'm also torn because I love 147 00:08:15,060 --> 00:08:17,280 doing things in an old fashioned way. 148 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:23,040 I still carry a map and compass with me on my hunts, and I, I, I look at 149 00:08:23,130 --> 00:08:27,960 the features that OnX has, and I know I'm only scratching the surface on 150 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:29,460 all the different things it does. 151 00:08:29,790 --> 00:08:35,940 Uh, I, I like, I like when I'm driving to a location and I see areas that look good, 152 00:08:35,940 --> 00:08:37,409 that it's right up there on my CarPlay. 153 00:08:37,409 --> 00:08:40,800 I can just whoop, press the thing and then check it out for right off. 154 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:41,880 It tells me, yeah. 155 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:46,380 Or I can download the maps, which I don't wanna sound like a, a shill for OnX here. 156 00:08:46,380 --> 00:08:48,870 But I'm just gonna tell you the boat, the things I'm, uh, excited about. 157 00:08:49,050 --> 00:08:53,910 I like how fast it will download maps, uh, high resolution, high quality maps. 158 00:08:54,315 --> 00:08:57,945 And a lot of the areas, most of the areas that I hunt, I don't have cell 159 00:08:57,945 --> 00:09:03,405 reception, so I want that stuff downloaded and I can see that all up on my vehicle 160 00:09:03,405 --> 00:09:08,085 if I'm driving into a location or if I'm on the side by side or a quad or 161 00:09:08,085 --> 00:09:15,105 that I get on out, uh, there's one, uh, piece that I think OnX can do. 162 00:09:15,195 --> 00:09:16,845 I'm not a hundred percent sure I've heard of it. 163 00:09:16,845 --> 00:09:21,375 I've never used it, but if you down an animal and you can see 164 00:09:21,375 --> 00:09:22,515 it, there it is over there. 165 00:09:22,515 --> 00:09:25,035 It's like I shot, it's in that direction and it kind of bogeyed 166 00:09:25,035 --> 00:09:29,535 off and I'm pretty sure it's, it's dyed over somewhere over here. 167 00:09:29,535 --> 00:09:33,375 But if I laser it, it can show up with certain laser devices. 168 00:09:33,375 --> 00:09:36,735 If I do a range find, it can show up on my, uh, app and show me how to get there. 169 00:09:36,765 --> 00:09:38,535 Is that, is that fact or fiction? 170 00:09:38,835 --> 00:09:39,255 Yeah, no. 171 00:09:39,255 --> 00:09:40,155 That, that is fact. 172 00:09:40,155 --> 00:09:44,025 We work, uh, right now with a couple different companies and uh, got 173 00:09:44,025 --> 00:09:45,855 some other ones coming out soon. 174 00:09:45,855 --> 00:09:50,415 But essentially right now loophole in six hour, uh, we work with those range 175 00:09:50,415 --> 00:09:52,065 finding devices that have Bluetooth. 176 00:09:52,785 --> 00:09:56,564 Essentially, yeah, you can, you can pin on your map using those. 177 00:09:56,625 --> 00:09:58,604 Um, and there's other ways of doing it, right? 178 00:09:58,665 --> 00:10:03,375 There's, we have a compass mode within the hunt app to where if you 179 00:10:03,375 --> 00:10:06,464 tap your location twice, it puts you in what we call compass mode. 180 00:10:06,464 --> 00:10:08,025 And then it has a range finder tool. 181 00:10:08,295 --> 00:10:11,714 So even if you don't have a capable range finder to connect with 182 00:10:11,714 --> 00:10:14,175 that, um, any range finder, right? 183 00:10:14,175 --> 00:10:19,214 So I can range something and say, that's where I saw that, that animal, 184 00:10:19,214 --> 00:10:20,925 after the shot run into the trees. 185 00:10:20,925 --> 00:10:24,885 I, I know right where it is, but as soon as I lose visual, as soon as I lose 186 00:10:24,885 --> 00:10:28,994 elevation to get up to that other side, I'm not gonna be able to see that anymore. 187 00:10:28,994 --> 00:10:30,704 And I think we've all done this, right? 188 00:10:31,484 --> 00:10:34,275 It's like, I, I know exactly where that bull is standing. 189 00:10:34,275 --> 00:10:35,474 I know where that bear was standing. 190 00:10:35,474 --> 00:10:36,464 I'm just, I'm excited. 191 00:10:36,464 --> 00:10:38,415 I'm just gonna go, I just shot it. 192 00:10:38,415 --> 00:10:38,895 I'm excited. 193 00:10:38,895 --> 00:10:41,204 We waited, you know, six days, just had it. 194 00:10:41,204 --> 00:10:42,584 I'm gonna go find it right now. 195 00:10:42,584 --> 00:10:43,305 I'm pumped up. 196 00:10:43,515 --> 00:10:45,405 And then you get up there and you start scratching your 197 00:10:45,405 --> 00:10:46,785 head, it's like, was it here? 198 00:10:47,460 --> 00:10:48,000 Was it here? 199 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:48,090 Mm-hmm. 200 00:10:48,090 --> 00:10:49,950 Am I a hundred yards away from where it was? 201 00:10:49,950 --> 00:10:51,930 Am I two yards away from where it was? 202 00:10:52,260 --> 00:10:53,400 Everything looks different. 203 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:55,500 You know that specific bush and tree? 204 00:10:55,500 --> 00:10:55,590 Mm-hmm. 205 00:10:55,950 --> 00:10:59,340 From across the canyon that you pinpointed and you haven ant etched in your brain. 206 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,190 You get up there, it doesn't look like the same bush and tree all of a sudden. 207 00:11:02,190 --> 00:11:05,670 So, um, essentially, yeah, you can put your phone into compass mode 208 00:11:05,670 --> 00:11:08,940 and long-winded way of saying it, but you can arrange it and say 209 00:11:08,940 --> 00:11:12,060 it's, you know, 327 yards away. 210 00:11:12,180 --> 00:11:16,560 Well then in the app, I can orient my phone in compass mode and turn 211 00:11:16,950 --> 00:11:22,620 right in, line up that area and type in 327 yards and it will drop away. 212 00:11:22,620 --> 00:11:26,160 Point you can drop away point 327 yards from your location. 213 00:11:26,475 --> 00:11:29,565 Lined up exactly in that direction, um, with that bearing. 214 00:11:29,565 --> 00:11:32,445 So now you're, you're, you've got a way point, right? 215 00:11:32,685 --> 00:11:35,475 You still need to go up there and do your due due diligence. 216 00:11:35,475 --> 00:11:38,055 Can't just walk right to the way point, and you're a hundred percent 217 00:11:38,055 --> 00:11:40,695 accurate a hundred percent of the time, but I'm telling you, it will 218 00:11:40,695 --> 00:11:45,555 put you within a couple feet or a yard or two from where you want to be. 219 00:11:45,555 --> 00:11:47,115 So, um, that's huge. 220 00:11:47,115 --> 00:11:48,615 You can do it through, yeah, through the app. 221 00:11:48,615 --> 00:11:51,885 And then also again, uh, that loophole, the, and sig, you know, 222 00:11:51,885 --> 00:11:55,395 you can also just Bluetooth to it and, and do it that way as well, 223 00:11:56,205 --> 00:11:56,415 huh. 224 00:11:56,565 --> 00:11:56,895 All right. 225 00:11:56,895 --> 00:11:58,635 Well, my, my wife's using the sig. 226 00:11:58,695 --> 00:12:00,975 I'm gonna have to see if she's got the Bluetooth model 227 00:12:00,975 --> 00:12:03,345 and, uh, see how that works. 228 00:12:03,405 --> 00:12:06,225 And, um, the kilos, I think is what she got. 229 00:12:06,285 --> 00:12:10,095 I've got, uh, Leicas and I've been, been working on Leica to see 230 00:12:10,095 --> 00:12:13,665 if, if they'll, uh, trade mine in for their new Bluetooth version. 231 00:12:13,665 --> 00:12:16,155 But, uh, so far no luck, but we'll see. 232 00:12:16,185 --> 00:12:17,445 We'll see what we can do there. 233 00:12:17,595 --> 00:12:18,105 There we go. 234 00:12:18,105 --> 00:12:21,855 Yeah, we, uh, we're, we're in conversations with Leica as well, and, 235 00:12:21,855 --> 00:12:25,395 uh, yeah, excited about some of the stuff that, that we're able to do there. 236 00:12:25,395 --> 00:12:25,710 And, um. 237 00:12:26,790 --> 00:12:29,550 Yeah, it just goes to show that the technology too and, and 238 00:12:29,550 --> 00:12:31,860 letting the technology expand. 239 00:12:31,860 --> 00:12:35,280 10 years ago when I first started working here, there's that just that 240 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:36,720 technology wouldn't have existed. 241 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:36,930 Right? 242 00:12:36,930 --> 00:12:37,770 It didn't exist. 243 00:12:38,070 --> 00:12:41,250 So it was impossible to add features like that today. 244 00:12:41,850 --> 00:12:46,035 You know, we, we've got that capability and it's also one of those things too, 245 00:12:46,035 --> 00:12:49,590 where just because you can do something doesn't necessarily mean you should. 246 00:12:49,950 --> 00:12:52,890 Um, you know, to your point there with technology and where it's 247 00:12:52,890 --> 00:12:57,090 going, there's some, some things that we probably could do that we 248 00:12:57,090 --> 00:13:00,480 are going, you know, have chosen and are going to choose not to do, right? 249 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:02,910 At the end of the day, we, we love getting outdoors, we love 250 00:13:02,910 --> 00:13:05,160 hunting, we love the pursuit. 251 00:13:05,220 --> 00:13:09,600 And if we ever get to a point where it almost becomes too easy 252 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,720 because of technology allows it to, you know, there's, there's 253 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:14,250 some areas for barriers there. 254 00:13:14,580 --> 00:13:17,730 Um, and that's just a good conversation to, to keep having. 255 00:13:17,730 --> 00:13:18,060 Right. 256 00:13:18,090 --> 00:13:18,925 And whether it's you. 257 00:13:19,814 --> 00:13:23,265 Long range hunting or you know, you name it. 258 00:13:23,265 --> 00:13:26,685 Some of the gear we have now really allows us to be a lot more successful 259 00:13:26,685 --> 00:13:29,594 and stay out there longer and shoot further and, and whatever. 260 00:13:29,594 --> 00:13:30,255 And technology. 261 00:13:30,255 --> 00:13:34,635 And, and these right here, your cell phones are, uh, another 262 00:13:34,635 --> 00:13:37,515 piece of that conversation that we continually have here at Onyx. 263 00:13:38,444 --> 00:13:41,714 Yeah, that, that was where I was gonna go with this too. 264 00:13:41,895 --> 00:13:46,484 Uh, do you get many, I mean, there's always gonna be people, especially 265 00:13:46,484 --> 00:13:48,915 in the hunting firearms world. 266 00:13:48,915 --> 00:13:49,844 Well, you're not a hunter. 267 00:13:49,844 --> 00:13:50,895 You use quads. 268 00:13:50,895 --> 00:13:51,765 You gotta use a quads. 269 00:13:51,765 --> 00:13:54,194 God gave you, well you're not a hunter 'cause you use a rifle. 270 00:13:54,194 --> 00:13:55,005 I use a bow. 271 00:13:55,364 --> 00:13:56,204 Or I'm a musket. 272 00:13:56,474 --> 00:13:57,525 I'm a muzzle loader. 273 00:13:57,525 --> 00:13:57,584 Yeah. 274 00:13:58,305 --> 00:14:01,035 There's always gonna be those things and there's gonna be the naysayers. 275 00:14:01,035 --> 00:14:04,515 Do you get much heat from people saying, nah, nah, nah, this, this 276 00:14:04,515 --> 00:14:07,515 technology's making an unfair for hunters. 277 00:14:08,234 --> 00:14:11,895 We get more heat from, I'll call it spot burning. 278 00:14:12,525 --> 00:14:14,564 Than we do for technology. 279 00:14:14,685 --> 00:14:19,185 Um, not to say, and I, again, I'm not really on this side of the business 280 00:14:19,185 --> 00:14:20,685 anymore with customer service. 281 00:14:20,925 --> 00:14:24,375 I'm sure that there's been folks that have reached out and said, 282 00:14:24,375 --> 00:14:25,755 Hey, I don't like this feature. 283 00:14:25,755 --> 00:14:28,245 I think this is crossing the line, or et cetera, et cetera. 284 00:14:28,574 --> 00:14:33,795 Um, but yeah, we, we get more heat from, Hey, I had this amazing honey hole before 285 00:14:33,795 --> 00:14:37,605 OnX because I was the only one that did the research to get back in this one piece 286 00:14:37,605 --> 00:14:40,395 of public using this age old easement. 287 00:14:41,145 --> 00:14:43,844 And now with OnX, everybody knows about it, right? 288 00:14:43,844 --> 00:14:47,655 We, we get more of that, um, which I totally understand, right? 289 00:14:47,655 --> 00:14:51,344 Like we, we've got our spots, I've got my spots, I like going and I 290 00:14:51,344 --> 00:14:52,814 don't like running into other hunters. 291 00:14:52,814 --> 00:14:57,255 And, um, a hundred percent, you know, that's fair. 292 00:14:57,255 --> 00:15:02,025 And we, we recognize that and kind of our, not rebuttal to get into 293 00:15:02,025 --> 00:15:03,405 an argument about it, but our. 294 00:15:04,035 --> 00:15:06,645 You know, our conversation back is like, well, how many new spots 295 00:15:06,645 --> 00:15:08,234 have you found because of vnx? 296 00:15:08,234 --> 00:15:08,474 Right? 297 00:15:08,474 --> 00:15:12,344 Like, sure, you might have that one spot that, you know, there's a couple other 298 00:15:12,344 --> 00:15:16,185 hunters that know about how to legally get in there now and hunt successfully. 299 00:15:16,545 --> 00:15:19,005 But what about all the other spots that you found because of it? 300 00:15:19,005 --> 00:15:21,255 And, and usually folks are like, yeah, okay. 301 00:15:21,255 --> 00:15:22,125 That's actually a good point. 302 00:15:22,125 --> 00:15:25,185 I've got, you know, I just hunted a brand new state that would've been 303 00:15:25,185 --> 00:15:26,444 really hard to do without the tool. 304 00:15:26,444 --> 00:15:31,484 So, um, yeah, there's, there's, you know, pros and, and cons to, to some of that, 305 00:15:31,490 --> 00:15:33,135 and we, we absolutely recognize that. 306 00:15:33,135 --> 00:15:35,444 But honestly, it's, it's so small. 307 00:15:35,535 --> 00:15:40,395 The, the feedback that we get like that it is, uh, you know, a 308 00:15:40,395 --> 00:15:43,365 percentage of the percentage of folks that, that feel that way. 309 00:15:43,454 --> 00:15:46,785 And, uh, usually we get the stories of like, man, you gotta 310 00:15:46,785 --> 00:15:47,925 look at this picture of this buck. 311 00:15:47,925 --> 00:15:50,685 Like, I, I took my kid hunting for the first time in a new state. 312 00:15:50,685 --> 00:15:54,675 Like there's no way possible without OnX that we would've been able to shoot 313 00:15:54,675 --> 00:15:56,625 this buck and, and that type of stuff. 314 00:15:56,625 --> 00:15:59,324 So it's overwhelmingly positive, uh, responses. 315 00:15:59,324 --> 00:16:02,204 But yeah, we, we recognize, you know, with uh. 316 00:16:03,300 --> 00:16:06,300 I, I'll say it this way, with great power comes great responsibility 317 00:16:06,300 --> 00:16:10,380 with technology and uh, um, yeah, continuing to have that conversation. 318 00:16:10,380 --> 00:16:14,040 That's one thing that I've been proud about, you know, working at Onyx is, 319 00:16:14,070 --> 00:16:18,600 um, having those conversations and making sure that, you know, we, we feel 320 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:23,040 good about what we are doing and that the much more important larger scale, 321 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:27,270 you know, system of, of the hunting industry that we, we happen to work in. 322 00:16:28,980 --> 00:16:35,370 So a friend of mine called up says Trav got a general open season hunt here in bc. 323 00:16:35,370 --> 00:16:41,670 It's something that I found this area I've hunted with my family and this year, uh, 324 00:16:41,670 --> 00:16:44,970 we're not able to get the family members up for whatever reason, still want to go. 325 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,070 I'd love if you'd come up and join me with it. 326 00:16:47,070 --> 00:16:51,150 This is gonna be for an elk hunt, so of course I said yes a hundred percent. 327 00:16:51,150 --> 00:16:52,260 Absolutely I will. 328 00:16:52,950 --> 00:16:57,180 Um, being somebody who has a passion for elk hunting. 329 00:16:58,035 --> 00:17:02,055 Being somebody who works for OnX who can provide some tips and tidbits, 330 00:17:02,445 --> 00:17:09,075 what sort of advice would you give me if you wanted to see me or anybody 331 00:17:09,075 --> 00:17:12,585 else out there successful on a northern British Columbia elk hunt? 332 00:17:13,065 --> 00:17:17,805 And what sort of things would you be relying on or use utilizing with the 333 00:17:17,895 --> 00:17:20,265 OnX app to, uh, to help in that success? 334 00:17:20,865 --> 00:17:22,845 Yeah, yeah, that's a, that's a great question. 335 00:17:23,474 --> 00:17:27,585 The, the thing I'll start off by saying there is how I use the Hunt 336 00:17:27,585 --> 00:17:30,855 app and how you use the Hunt app are going to be entirely different. 337 00:17:31,035 --> 00:17:36,795 And that, the cool thing about the, the tool itself is it's just a tool, right? 338 00:17:37,365 --> 00:17:39,555 Same thing as a, a bow or a rifle. 339 00:17:39,855 --> 00:17:43,845 You know, if you go, if you, if we are rifle hunting and we both get the brand 340 00:17:43,845 --> 00:17:49,275 new long range fancy Leica optic on top and all this fancy stuff, and you go shoot 341 00:17:49,275 --> 00:17:53,535 it and learn it and, you know, figure out the dope on it and practice with it. 342 00:17:53,580 --> 00:17:57,689 I don't, I zero it at a hundred yards the day before season. 343 00:17:58,290 --> 00:18:01,710 You're gonna be a lot more efficient with that tool than I am, right? 344 00:18:02,189 --> 00:18:05,189 So it, at the end of the day, it's, it's a tool. 345 00:18:05,189 --> 00:18:09,600 And there there is some, I'll call it, practicing with it just like you 346 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,389 would with a rifle or breaking in a new pair of boots before a hunt. 347 00:18:12,750 --> 00:18:17,939 Um, that is, I wouldn't say required, but it's very helpful to be more successful. 348 00:18:18,510 --> 00:18:22,949 Um, so I guess that's a little bit preseason going into it. 349 00:18:22,949 --> 00:18:26,550 I would say if, if somebody hasn't really explored the app and, and know it's 350 00:18:26,550 --> 00:18:30,480 ins and outs, which most folks don't, to your point, you know, you, you feel 351 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:31,800 like you haven't scratched the surface. 352 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:36,480 And I will say, I've said this for a long time, that this is, I don't have 353 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:41,250 data to back this statement up at all, but I feel like 90% of Onyx users 354 00:18:41,310 --> 00:18:43,800 use less than 10% of its capability. 355 00:18:44,399 --> 00:18:48,600 Most folks out there are just using it to see, okay, where am I at on the map? 356 00:18:48,899 --> 00:18:52,620 I might mark a waypoint where the truck is so I can find it if I get lost. 357 00:18:53,010 --> 00:18:54,840 And that's about it. 358 00:18:54,870 --> 00:18:57,690 And the cool thing is, is they're still finding enough value in that 359 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:02,520 to subscribe and, and still be loyal, you know, customers of ours, 360 00:19:02,850 --> 00:19:04,110 but they're so much more to it. 361 00:19:04,110 --> 00:19:08,909 And the biggest thing I tell folks is to get in there and practice. 362 00:19:08,909 --> 00:19:13,980 Like, heck, last night I was laying in bed and I'm ESC scouting for this coming 363 00:19:13,980 --> 00:19:17,399 weekend where I'm gonna go put some boots on the ground in some new country for 364 00:19:17,399 --> 00:19:19,800 a, a rifle elk permit that my wife drew. 365 00:19:20,129 --> 00:19:24,060 Um, but essentially my point there is like, if you're laying in bed at 366 00:19:24,060 --> 00:19:25,860 night or sitting on the couch or. 367 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,060 Sitting at an airport and you've got a couple hours, get in OnX 368 00:19:30,060 --> 00:19:31,410 and just tap all the buttons. 369 00:19:31,470 --> 00:19:32,340 See what they do. 370 00:19:32,340 --> 00:19:33,480 You're not gonna break it. 371 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:35,760 People are so afraid with technology, they're gonna break it. 372 00:19:37,620 --> 00:19:41,520 But get in there, tap the buttons, turn the layers on, turn the layers off. 373 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:42,780 See what that does to your maps. 374 00:19:42,780 --> 00:19:46,260 See how you are going to find the most value in it. 375 00:19:46,625 --> 00:19:47,970 And, and that's step one, right? 376 00:19:47,970 --> 00:19:49,860 Just tap the buttons, see what they do. 377 00:19:49,890 --> 00:19:53,940 Mark away point, change the color on it, add notes to it, add a photo to 378 00:19:53,940 --> 00:19:55,950 that way point, text it to your buddy. 379 00:19:56,070 --> 00:19:57,270 Just see how that works. 380 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:01,590 So when you get out there in the field, you're not, you know, when 381 00:20:01,590 --> 00:20:03,480 you get out there, the last thing you want to do is spend a ton of 382 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:04,950 time on your phone anyways, right? 383 00:20:04,955 --> 00:20:05,205 Mm-hmm. 384 00:20:05,290 --> 00:20:09,150 You wanna use the tool to be successful, but you don't want to 385 00:20:09,150 --> 00:20:10,920 learn OnX while you're on a hunt. 386 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:12,060 You've got better things to do. 387 00:20:12,060 --> 00:20:12,930 You're out there to hunt. 388 00:20:13,260 --> 00:20:17,130 So learn it before would be my first thing, and, and tap those buttons 389 00:20:17,130 --> 00:20:18,510 and share waypoints and do all that. 390 00:20:18,510 --> 00:20:20,250 Fun, fun, cool stuff. 391 00:20:20,610 --> 00:20:25,110 Um, and then definitely save a few offline maps, which you alluded to. 392 00:20:25,530 --> 00:20:30,180 A lot of folks don't, you know, realize that maybe where they're going, 393 00:20:30,180 --> 00:20:31,770 they don't have service or whatnot. 394 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,920 But, uh, regardless, even if you're not a hundred percent sure, 395 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,460 just save a few maps, you can save multiple maps on top of it. 396 00:20:38,460 --> 00:20:42,210 So you could save a giant area. 397 00:20:42,450 --> 00:20:45,990 For example, I've got the entire state of Montana saved on my phone in low 398 00:20:45,990 --> 00:20:50,730 resolution maps, so it doesn't take up a ton of storage because there's a lot 399 00:20:50,730 --> 00:20:52,470 of areas in Montana I don't need saved. 400 00:20:52,470 --> 00:20:56,340 But I want to make sure that anywhere I go, I've got a map, I can see 401 00:20:56,340 --> 00:20:57,510 what's private, what's public. 402 00:20:57,810 --> 00:21:01,470 I can see my location, I can like get a map, and then the 403 00:21:01,530 --> 00:21:04,410 areas that I specifically know I'm going to go in and hunt. 404 00:21:04,620 --> 00:21:08,970 Then I will dive into those areas, whether it be an entire unit, a mountain 405 00:21:08,970 --> 00:21:13,320 range, a general area, and I'll save medium or high resolution maps there. 406 00:21:13,695 --> 00:21:16,395 So the reason that you don't just save the entire, you know, state of 407 00:21:16,395 --> 00:21:20,895 Montana or a large chunk of area in high res maps is that it just eats 408 00:21:20,895 --> 00:21:22,605 up a lot of storage on your phone. 409 00:21:23,325 --> 00:21:23,685 Mm. If you 410 00:21:23,685 --> 00:21:25,545 have the storage, great, go for it. 411 00:21:25,665 --> 00:21:30,105 Um, but if you don't need to be able to zoom in really tight on the imagery and 412 00:21:30,105 --> 00:21:33,585 see like, oh, that's a rock outcropping with a tree on the right side, like 413 00:21:33,585 --> 00:21:37,485 very, very specific detailed imagery, um, you can get away with the low res 414 00:21:37,485 --> 00:21:41,925 maps and then go in and saved medium or high where you are going specifically. 415 00:21:41,925 --> 00:21:45,825 So then once I cross over that border of that saved map, now 416 00:21:45,825 --> 00:21:46,935 I can zoom in really tight. 417 00:21:46,935 --> 00:21:48,765 I've got like the best imagery saved. 418 00:21:49,065 --> 00:21:51,465 I've got all the, you know, everything I need there. 419 00:21:51,765 --> 00:21:54,825 So learn it, save maps off on use. 420 00:21:55,845 --> 00:21:59,355 And then, um, as far as layers and stuff, that's where we really 421 00:21:59,355 --> 00:22:02,715 get into how I use it and how you use it are going to be different. 422 00:22:03,165 --> 00:22:06,135 One of the layers, for example, that excuse me, I really 423 00:22:06,135 --> 00:22:07,755 like is slope angle layer. 424 00:22:08,475 --> 00:22:13,155 So you turn on slope angle layer and it kind of, it, it. 425 00:22:13,965 --> 00:22:17,505 Changes the colors on your map, and at first it can be a little overwhelming. 426 00:22:17,865 --> 00:22:21,915 Uh, you got red, so you got greens, you got blues, and it's like just a, a 427 00:22:22,035 --> 00:22:23,955 color vomit on your map all of a sudden. 428 00:22:24,375 --> 00:22:27,675 But you look at the top and there's a scale bar and it'll tell 429 00:22:27,675 --> 00:22:29,625 you what that color gradient is. 430 00:22:30,105 --> 00:22:37,725 And so this is really helpful for identifying, um, benches and saddles 431 00:22:37,725 --> 00:22:41,565 and just if you're going up through a Cliffy mountain, for example, it will 432 00:22:41,565 --> 00:22:46,425 identify better than almost anything else, your best path to hike to the top 433 00:22:46,425 --> 00:22:48,045 of the mountain and not get cliffed out. 434 00:22:48,375 --> 00:22:54,315 Um, so think of it like a topo map or lidar, but more, almost more 435 00:22:54,315 --> 00:22:57,135 detailed and based on past hunts. 436 00:22:57,135 --> 00:23:02,445 I know like we, we did a spring bear hunt a couple years ago in Idaho and we packed 437 00:23:02,445 --> 00:23:07,035 out two bears out of a canyon and with the slope angle turned on, there was a lot of 438 00:23:07,035 --> 00:23:10,305 purple involved in our hike up in purple. 439 00:23:10,635 --> 00:23:14,565 I now know having been in it is like hands and feet, like you're, you're 440 00:23:14,565 --> 00:23:17,895 grabbing onto trees above you to pull you up the mountain essentially. 441 00:23:18,285 --> 00:23:22,215 Um, and so especially when you look at way points and have, when you've been 442 00:23:22,215 --> 00:23:26,055 in areas that you know what it was like to come outta that canyon, and then 443 00:23:26,055 --> 00:23:31,125 you look at slope angle and it's like, okay, now I start to understand, you 444 00:23:31,125 --> 00:23:32,925 know, we want to stay in this area. 445 00:23:32,925 --> 00:23:37,185 Or if there's little blotches of purple, uh, and blue mixed within that mountain. 446 00:23:37,245 --> 00:23:40,305 Those are generally cliffy areas where you will get clipped out. 447 00:23:40,305 --> 00:23:45,255 If you look at a topo map and even three DA lot of times you don't see 448 00:23:45,255 --> 00:23:48,705 those little cliffy pockets where, you know, if you're coming out heavy 449 00:23:48,705 --> 00:23:52,065 or in the dark with a headlamp and it's raining and it's slippery. 450 00:23:52,485 --> 00:23:54,555 You want to just avoid those at all costs, right? 451 00:23:54,555 --> 00:23:58,215 And the slope angle layer can really help you depict that and help, help 452 00:23:58,395 --> 00:24:00,225 A, find navigation routes for you. 453 00:24:00,735 --> 00:24:03,165 B, find navigation routes for the game you're pursuing. 454 00:24:03,165 --> 00:24:07,545 And c you know, little things like benches and, uh, you know, I've, I've 455 00:24:07,545 --> 00:24:10,455 used it to find water before on the side of a mountain and all that good stuff. 456 00:24:10,455 --> 00:24:16,365 So that's one example of, uh, you know, a layer, a piece of data that I like using. 457 00:24:16,845 --> 00:24:20,445 Now you might use it and be like, nah, it, that's not really helpful for me. 458 00:24:20,445 --> 00:24:26,505 But what is helpful for me is, uh, you know, using Terrain X on the desktop 459 00:24:26,505 --> 00:24:33,075 beforehand and, and finding like north facing stuff between 15 and 22 degrees, 460 00:24:33,435 --> 00:24:35,475 um, between this elevation band, right? 461 00:24:35,475 --> 00:24:39,195 Like, there's so many things that you as a hunter are gonna 462 00:24:39,195 --> 00:24:40,755 approach it differently than I am. 463 00:24:41,055 --> 00:24:44,355 And again, it just goes back to the tool and, you know, what's, 464 00:24:45,105 --> 00:24:46,785 what is your method of hunting? 465 00:24:47,460 --> 00:24:52,140 Too, because if I like calling in bulls and you like stocking into them, 466 00:24:52,140 --> 00:24:55,080 or spot and stalking, like we we're probably gonna use the, the tool a 467 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:59,070 little bit different, um, you know, for those different use cases of hunting. 468 00:24:59,070 --> 00:25:01,140 So hopefully that answered your question a little bit. 469 00:25:01,140 --> 00:25:04,455 It was kind of a long-winded way of, there's a lot to it and, uh mm-hmm. 470 00:25:04,540 --> 00:25:04,860 You know, 471 00:25:04,860 --> 00:25:06,210 everybody's gonna use it differently. 472 00:25:06,210 --> 00:25:07,379 There's not really a cheat code. 473 00:25:07,379 --> 00:25:07,560 Right. 474 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:12,750 I think a lot of times with, with OnX, people want to say like, what 475 00:25:12,750 --> 00:25:15,840 do I need to do to use it to be successful and what's the cheat code? 476 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:19,320 And, and there's not just like, there's no cheat code of okay, you 477 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:23,490 just bought a fancy rifle with a high dollar liquor on top, and that doesn't 478 00:25:23,490 --> 00:25:26,580 mean you can go shoot an animal at seven, 800 yards out of the box. 479 00:25:26,610 --> 00:25:26,700 Mm-hmm. 480 00:25:26,940 --> 00:25:32,310 Um, nor should you, so there's, uh, yeah, there's, you, you kind of 481 00:25:32,310 --> 00:25:33,900 get out of it what you put into it. 482 00:25:33,900 --> 00:25:38,040 And that is to, again, circling back to the folks that are like, oh, OnX 483 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:39,480 just makes this easier for everybody. 484 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,690 It's like, well if you're, if you're really passionate about your hunting and 485 00:25:42,690 --> 00:25:44,610 you want to learn and be more successful. 486 00:25:45,014 --> 00:25:49,820 You can use it to be successful, but it's, uh, just because you download the the 487 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:54,045 OnX ONTAP does not mean everybody's on the, the same level playing field with, 488 00:25:54,165 --> 00:25:55,785 with maps and how they use 'em, you know? 489 00:25:57,285 --> 00:26:01,215 So if we were to take OnX outta the picture and you wanted to provide some, 490 00:26:01,215 --> 00:26:07,395 let's say, elk specific tips that suit your style of hunting, what would you 491 00:26:07,395 --> 00:26:11,805 suggest to somebody going out, uh, if they wanted to be successful for elk? 492 00:26:12,615 --> 00:26:15,070 Are you thinking, uh, archery or rifle or rut? 493 00:26:15,075 --> 00:26:16,485 Rifle, I guess I should call it rifle. 494 00:26:16,965 --> 00:26:23,175 So I primarily, I will just say firsthand, I've shot three Cal Elk with a rifle. 495 00:26:23,565 --> 00:26:25,365 I've not shot a single bull with a rifle. 496 00:26:25,365 --> 00:26:28,215 'cause archery elk is like, kind of my, my thing. 497 00:26:28,215 --> 00:26:28,274 Hmm. 498 00:26:28,695 --> 00:26:29,925 I like hunting them in the rut. 499 00:26:30,075 --> 00:26:32,205 So all of my bull elk have been, uh. 500 00:26:32,565 --> 00:26:34,185 With a bow and then rifle. 501 00:26:34,455 --> 00:26:38,145 Once rifle season happens, I kind of transition to deer antelope and stuff. 502 00:26:38,475 --> 00:26:42,705 So I don't have a ton of rifle elk hunting experience besides filling 503 00:26:42,705 --> 00:26:43,875 the freezer with some cow elk. 504 00:26:44,325 --> 00:26:48,345 Um, but I guess, you know, rot hunting in general, I'll say that. 505 00:26:48,375 --> 00:26:50,655 'cause your guys' rifle, does it start pretty early? 506 00:26:50,715 --> 00:26:51,885 Can you rifle hunt during the rut? 507 00:26:51,885 --> 00:26:52,065 Yep. 508 00:26:52,965 --> 00:26:54,075 Yeah, so perfect. 509 00:26:54,465 --> 00:27:01,695 Um, how I have found my success in elk hunting during the rut is it's a little 510 00:27:01,695 --> 00:27:04,365 bit dependent on the, the country, right? 511 00:27:04,365 --> 00:27:06,195 I grew up in eastern Montana. 512 00:27:06,735 --> 00:27:11,985 There's elk over there in pockets, like it's open, more open terrain. 513 00:27:12,255 --> 00:27:16,125 There's timber, but it's not like, you know, a dark black 514 00:27:16,125 --> 00:27:17,475 wall of timber, for example. 515 00:27:18,465 --> 00:27:22,545 Now I live in western Montana where I'm looking out my window 516 00:27:22,545 --> 00:27:24,825 to some pretty rugged mountains. 517 00:27:24,825 --> 00:27:28,785 Yeah, there's some open parks and whatnot, but primarily like there's a 518 00:27:28,785 --> 00:27:30,735 lot of timber in mountainous country. 519 00:27:31,215 --> 00:27:31,365 So. 520 00:27:32,100 --> 00:27:36,900 If I'm in mountainous timbered country, I love calling in elk like 521 00:27:36,900 --> 00:27:39,480 it is, I, I just love it, right? 522 00:27:39,690 --> 00:27:43,770 It might not be the most successful way, the best way to kill a bull on that 523 00:27:43,770 --> 00:27:49,290 particular day, but I really love that rush of playing that cat and mouse and 524 00:27:49,290 --> 00:27:53,580 having a bull cut me off and scream at my face while he is tending his cows. 525 00:27:53,910 --> 00:27:56,250 And like, there's nothing that beats that feeling to me. 526 00:27:56,250 --> 00:27:58,379 So that's how I choose to hunt elk. 527 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:02,250 Um, over here where there's timber is I like to find them. 528 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:06,690 I like to locate 'em, and a lot of times what I'm doing there is covering 529 00:28:06,690 --> 00:28:10,290 country at night, whether in the vehicle or on foot or just sitting 530 00:28:10,290 --> 00:28:14,310 and listening to different basins at night just to get a, a gauge for it. 531 00:28:14,310 --> 00:28:15,720 There's a bull in this drainage. 532 00:28:15,990 --> 00:28:17,490 I can hunt him tomorrow. 533 00:28:18,420 --> 00:28:22,800 I, I, I hate nothing more than hunting in the morning and not 534 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:24,330 knowing if there's elk in the area. 535 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:28,110 I'd rather be up a lot the night before and hear a bugle and be 536 00:28:28,110 --> 00:28:29,040 like, Hey, there's a bull there. 537 00:28:29,610 --> 00:28:31,560 I know I'm at least in the game. 538 00:28:32,100 --> 00:28:34,800 Tomorrow morning, because I know there's a bull in this area. 539 00:28:35,219 --> 00:28:39,719 Um, so again, I, I spend a lot of time in the evenings and at night or getting 540 00:28:39,719 --> 00:28:41,820 up very early to, to hear a bugle. 541 00:28:41,820 --> 00:28:44,219 So I'm, I'm hunting elk. 542 00:28:44,219 --> 00:28:45,479 I'm not just hunting, right? 543 00:28:45,594 --> 00:28:48,000 I, I know there's a bull there that I can go after. 544 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,169 I'm either gonna screw it up or kill him, but at least there's an outcome hunting. 545 00:28:52,590 --> 00:28:55,560 So, uh, yeah, locating him is big for me. 546 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:58,800 And then also after that, again, calling him bulls. 547 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:03,360 Like I love getting in close, challenging him when you can and, and having that 548 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:09,149 bull upset and coming in mad is, there's nothing cooler, but depending on how 549 00:29:09,149 --> 00:29:12,840 fired up he is, if he has cows or not, you know, I, I'm using calling techniques 550 00:29:13,199 --> 00:29:17,760 or having, hopefully a buddy calling, uh, a little ways behind me to, to suck 551 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:19,800 in a bull and have a close encounter. 552 00:29:19,860 --> 00:29:23,250 Like, that's how I cut my teeth out cu my very first bull. 553 00:29:23,250 --> 00:29:23,790 Called him in. 554 00:29:23,850 --> 00:29:25,199 My uncle called him in for me. 555 00:29:25,740 --> 00:29:28,860 To like six or seven yards max. 556 00:29:28,980 --> 00:29:31,950 And he turned broadside and screamed. 557 00:29:32,580 --> 00:29:35,310 And it was like, I still remember that, that noise. 558 00:29:35,310 --> 00:29:35,370 Wow. 559 00:29:35,399 --> 00:29:39,120 That close to me as I was at full draw and I shot him at like six yards. 560 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:40,649 Um, wow. 561 00:29:41,129 --> 00:29:41,399 Yeah. 562 00:29:41,399 --> 00:29:44,670 It was just like the, and actually that bull is right here next to me. 563 00:29:44,670 --> 00:29:47,610 One of, you know, just a great mountain timber bowl. 564 00:29:47,610 --> 00:29:49,350 Like it was, that hunt was amazing. 565 00:29:49,409 --> 00:29:53,940 Uh, so anytime I'm in the, the mountains in, in the timber, I, I just prefer to 566 00:29:53,940 --> 00:29:56,159 call them in because it's more fun for me. 567 00:29:56,580 --> 00:30:01,649 Um, transitioning a little bit to, you know, east more eastern 568 00:30:01,649 --> 00:30:05,399 Montana style hunting or just more planes hunting, right? 569 00:30:05,399 --> 00:30:08,220 Like, it's not dedicated to Eastern Montana, but it's a 570 00:30:08,220 --> 00:30:09,510 little bit more open country. 571 00:30:09,510 --> 00:30:10,110 It's breaky. 572 00:30:10,110 --> 00:30:10,830 It's craggy. 573 00:30:11,399 --> 00:30:14,850 There's timber pockets, but it's not like deep dark timber in the mountains. 574 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:20,490 I have found way more success in that country located in elk. 575 00:30:20,939 --> 00:30:23,879 Letting him, and sometimes I try to get him talking. 576 00:30:24,330 --> 00:30:28,409 Last year I killed a bull and um, I, I found him the night before. 577 00:30:28,409 --> 00:30:29,550 I glass him up the night before. 578 00:30:29,550 --> 00:30:30,210 So I went in there. 579 00:30:30,210 --> 00:30:32,340 I knew there was an elk in the area, he had cows. 580 00:30:32,820 --> 00:30:36,090 And I went in there and, uh, it was just silent that morning. 581 00:30:36,270 --> 00:30:38,550 Not a peep, nothing going on. 582 00:30:38,550 --> 00:30:41,250 And I'm sitting there and I'm like, I need to know where he is before 583 00:30:41,250 --> 00:30:45,179 I commit to, to getting in there so he doesn't, you know, win me. 584 00:30:45,179 --> 00:30:46,740 And I don't blow it before I even start it. 585 00:30:47,764 --> 00:30:47,845 Hmm. 586 00:30:47,845 --> 00:30:49,830 So I bugled he responded. 587 00:30:49,830 --> 00:30:51,000 I'm like, okay, I got him. 588 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:51,750 I know where he is. 589 00:30:52,139 --> 00:30:55,199 And then we, we kind of did that for another four or five times. 590 00:30:56,220 --> 00:30:58,949 I would cover a hundred yards, 200 yards and sit. 591 00:30:59,220 --> 00:31:01,139 'cause at the, you know, I don't know if they're coming toward me. 592 00:31:01,139 --> 00:31:02,010 I don't know what they're doing. 593 00:31:02,429 --> 00:31:04,199 And so I'd sit there for a while, nothing. 594 00:31:04,230 --> 00:31:05,699 So I'd, I'd bugle again. 595 00:31:06,145 --> 00:31:07,199 He, he would respond. 596 00:31:07,199 --> 00:31:08,280 I'm like, okay, I got 'em now. 597 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:09,750 I'd move another two, 300 yards. 598 00:31:09,750 --> 00:31:10,800 Sit, wait, nothing. 599 00:31:11,070 --> 00:31:14,939 So we kind of did that until I got close enough that it made him mad. 600 00:31:15,389 --> 00:31:17,520 And then he started bugling a lot on his own. 601 00:31:17,909 --> 00:31:20,040 Once he started bugling a lot on his own. 602 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:20,820 I just shut up. 603 00:31:20,820 --> 00:31:22,679 I didn't, didn't cow call, didn't beagle. 604 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:27,120 And as long as he was giving up his location, all I was doing was making 605 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:28,889 sure the wind was right and slipping in. 606 00:31:29,310 --> 00:31:34,110 And that's how I've killed probably the last five or six bulls is 607 00:31:34,110 --> 00:31:39,300 letting them talk and just slipping in and, you know, without any 608 00:31:39,300 --> 00:31:40,679 of the elk knowing you're there. 609 00:31:41,220 --> 00:31:43,500 'cause there's been so many times, right, like when I shot my bull 610 00:31:43,500 --> 00:31:48,360 last year, he stepped out and I, I shot him, there was a cow like under 611 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:49,889 10 yards right to the left of me. 612 00:31:49,889 --> 00:31:50,879 Just over a rise. 613 00:31:50,879 --> 00:31:55,740 I could see like her ears if I were to call and stop that bull or try to 614 00:31:55,740 --> 00:31:59,639 get him to come out like that, cow's just gonna pick up her head and see me. 615 00:31:59,639 --> 00:32:01,500 I'm pretty much in the wide open at 10 yards. 616 00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:03,149 Like it's gonna be game over. 617 00:32:03,179 --> 00:32:04,770 They've been with the same elk all night. 618 00:32:04,770 --> 00:32:05,970 They know what elk are around. 619 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:08,370 All of a sudden you throw in a different cow call like. 620 00:32:09,210 --> 00:32:12,300 In the, the kitchen of all these elk and they're like, whoa, what? 621 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:15,060 Like, who, where, where's this coming from? 622 00:32:15,060 --> 00:32:15,810 What's going on here? 623 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:19,440 Oft like, obviously there's times where I've gotten away with it and I have called 624 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:25,140 in bulls in that country, but, uh, wildly more oftentimes than not, let 'em talk, 625 00:32:25,530 --> 00:32:29,610 get slip in there and, you know, get an arrow or, you know, rifle if you can. 626 00:32:29,610 --> 00:32:32,640 Obviously makes it a little bit easier because you don't have to get in 627 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:37,495 that, you know, 50 ish yards or, or in, um, but yeah, let 'em talk and, 628 00:32:37,500 --> 00:32:41,280 and slip in undetected is, is kind of how I've been doing it recently. 629 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:42,360 More in open terrain. 630 00:32:43,050 --> 00:32:43,410 Hmm. 631 00:32:44,130 --> 00:32:48,900 So I'll be, I've got a northern British Columbia elk hunt. 632 00:32:48,930 --> 00:32:51,660 I'll be on that for a couple weeks or going up early and 633 00:32:51,660 --> 00:32:52,770 then going into the rut. 634 00:32:53,460 --> 00:32:54,930 Uh, I get back from that. 635 00:32:54,930 --> 00:32:56,100 I'll be up to Alaska. 636 00:32:56,190 --> 00:32:58,770 There's a, uh, it'll be my first time in Alaska. 637 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:00,810 Never been there before, so I'm looking forward to that. 638 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:01,680 Awesome. 639 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:02,490 A friend of mine. 640 00:33:02,565 --> 00:33:06,675 A friend of mine, she's, uh, big in the fishing world, April Vokey. 641 00:33:06,675 --> 00:33:10,935 She says, I got this thing going on over in, uh, uh, this company called Chrome 642 00:33:10,935 --> 00:33:14,505 Chasers, and you should come on over and let's, let's do something together. 643 00:33:14,505 --> 00:33:16,965 So we'll be, we'll be there for a week. 644 00:33:16,965 --> 00:33:17,865 Her and her family. 645 00:33:17,865 --> 00:33:18,735 And me and my family. 646 00:33:19,335 --> 00:33:22,065 And then, uh, I've got another elk hunt in Alberta. 647 00:33:22,065 --> 00:33:24,585 I've never hunted in Alberta before, but this is gonna be 648 00:33:24,855 --> 00:33:26,865 your more open planes type thing. 649 00:33:26,865 --> 00:33:31,125 So, uh, I'm observing what I can from you, from your experience and, 650 00:33:31,125 --> 00:33:34,365 um, I've got a lot of research to do before I jump into that one. 651 00:33:34,845 --> 00:33:36,495 So that'll be, uh, that'll be fun. 652 00:33:36,795 --> 00:33:37,245 How about you? 653 00:33:37,245 --> 00:33:40,245 What kind of, what kind of plans you gotta, uh, lined up for this season? 654 00:33:40,755 --> 00:33:42,405 It's, it's gonna be a busy fall. 655 00:33:42,405 --> 00:33:44,925 The, the draws were good to us this year, thankfully. 656 00:33:44,985 --> 00:33:45,645 Um. 657 00:33:46,140 --> 00:33:47,490 So I'm gonna kick it off. 658 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:49,980 Uh, plans are a little bit up in the air right now, but I'm gonna 659 00:33:49,980 --> 00:33:51,690 kick it off with a Wyoming elk hunt. 660 00:33:52,290 --> 00:33:55,890 So, as I was just saying, you know, I typically archery hunt elk with, 661 00:33:56,070 --> 00:34:00,180 uh, you know, I, I just archery hunt elk if, unless I'm trying to fill the 662 00:34:00,180 --> 00:34:02,310 freezer with a, a cow or something. 663 00:34:02,310 --> 00:34:04,590 Late season Wyoming this year. 664 00:34:04,620 --> 00:34:07,050 The plan right now anyways, is to take a rifle. 665 00:34:07,530 --> 00:34:10,950 Um, I might still take a bow depending on, and then hit like 666 00:34:11,010 --> 00:34:14,280 the last few days of archery and then be there for rifle opener. 667 00:34:14,639 --> 00:34:18,090 But that one's gonna be a horseback style hunt. 668 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:20,909 Um, kind of a, a wilderness back country. 669 00:34:20,909 --> 00:34:22,710 Like, really, really cool. 670 00:34:22,980 --> 00:34:23,520 It's been a while. 671 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:27,510 You know, I, I usually do a horse hunt every year, every other year or something. 672 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:31,380 I unfortunately have some friends with some horses and, uh, it's kinda 673 00:34:31,380 --> 00:34:34,380 like a boat, you know, that saying, it's like the be, you know, the only 674 00:34:34,380 --> 00:34:37,320 thing better than owning horses is having a friend who owns horses. 675 00:34:38,159 --> 00:34:38,280 Yep. 676 00:34:39,150 --> 00:34:44,400 So, anyways, I, uh, I've done a little bit of it, but not necessarily a. Hey, 677 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:48,360 we're going deep in the back country for 10 days and we're, we're taking 678 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:49,740 a horse string type type of hunt. 679 00:34:49,740 --> 00:34:51,840 So I'm excited for that one to kick it off. 680 00:34:51,900 --> 00:34:56,250 Um, and then actually after I rifle hunt Wyoming, I'm gonna come 681 00:34:56,250 --> 00:34:57,720 back and archery hunt Montana. 682 00:34:57,750 --> 00:35:00,420 It'll be kind of a later season hunt into October. 683 00:35:00,780 --> 00:35:05,400 Um, but I found some success, you know, there when a lot of folks come 684 00:35:05,430 --> 00:35:09,780 third week of September, second week of September, and, you know, hunt it 685 00:35:09,780 --> 00:35:11,490 out and there's a lot of competition. 686 00:35:11,490 --> 00:35:14,850 And then after, after that, a lot of folks go home and it's kind of nice to 687 00:35:14,850 --> 00:35:17,820 have less, less competition in the woods. 688 00:35:17,850 --> 00:35:20,790 Uh, and some, some bulls still fired up late season. 689 00:35:20,790 --> 00:35:22,050 So come back in. 690 00:35:22,050 --> 00:35:27,450 Archery hunt Montana, uh, followed up with a rifle, mul deer and rifle antelope punt. 691 00:35:27,450 --> 00:35:29,520 I drew my antelope permit this year in Montana. 692 00:35:30,090 --> 00:35:34,260 And then, uh, my wife, this is kind of the, I've got a lot of hunts this year, 693 00:35:34,260 --> 00:35:35,880 but this is the one I'm most excited for. 694 00:35:36,330 --> 00:35:39,840 My wife drew one of Montana's hardest to get. 695 00:35:40,275 --> 00:35:43,065 Rifle bull elk tags, and she's never shot an elk before. 696 00:35:43,545 --> 00:35:44,355 Um, wow. 697 00:35:44,775 --> 00:35:45,105 Yeah. 698 00:35:45,105 --> 00:35:47,985 And it's, I mean, it's a, it's a heck of a unit. 699 00:35:48,015 --> 00:35:52,245 I'm gonna go put some boots on the ground, uh, this weekend actually, and, 700 00:35:52,245 --> 00:35:56,295 and scout it, learn it a little bit better, but just the, the trophy potential 701 00:35:56,295 --> 00:35:57,884 in there is pretty, pretty crazy. 702 00:35:58,275 --> 00:35:59,865 And she's never shot an elk before. 703 00:35:59,865 --> 00:36:04,185 So super excited for, for that hunt, probably more than any of the other ones. 704 00:36:04,190 --> 00:36:07,425 And, and just, uh, help her, you know, hopefully shoot her first bull. 705 00:36:07,425 --> 00:36:12,045 And I, I hope I told, I keep telling her, I hope it's bigger than any bull 706 00:36:12,045 --> 00:36:14,265 I've killed, um, for her first one. 707 00:36:14,295 --> 00:36:14,505 Mm-hmm. 708 00:36:14,511 --> 00:36:14,910 Mm-hmm. 709 00:36:15,255 --> 00:36:17,115 So that's, that's kind of my goal. 710 00:36:17,115 --> 00:36:18,225 But, uh, we'll see. 711 00:36:18,225 --> 00:36:19,545 It'll be a blast no matter what. 712 00:36:19,634 --> 00:36:22,725 A little bit challenging, because we didn't, didn't really 713 00:36:22,725 --> 00:36:24,045 expect her to draw this tag. 714 00:36:24,045 --> 00:36:25,005 It's so hard to get. 715 00:36:25,305 --> 00:36:30,645 And we have a four and a 2-year-old at home, so we're a gonna be 716 00:36:30,645 --> 00:36:32,415 hunting and b gonna be, you know. 717 00:36:32,819 --> 00:36:36,060 Having babysitters hang out with them and grandparents are gonna be involved. 718 00:36:36,060 --> 00:36:40,379 And um, but the goal, what I would love is for them to be at least in 719 00:36:40,379 --> 00:36:44,609 camp when she shoots a bull so they can come, you know, experience that. 720 00:36:44,669 --> 00:36:48,569 Um, and we did that last year with some antelope and they were there kind of 721 00:36:48,569 --> 00:36:50,910 along for it and got to experience it. 722 00:36:50,910 --> 00:36:56,399 And, uh, just to see them like, you know, we, we went fishing this past 723 00:36:56,399 --> 00:37:00,089 weekend, for example, and then we ate, ate some fish two nights ago. 724 00:37:00,089 --> 00:37:03,299 And, and to see that connection, right, of like, oh, here's what we're doing. 725 00:37:03,990 --> 00:37:06,299 And now we're eating it, and this is awesome. 726 00:37:06,569 --> 00:37:06,810 Mm-hmm. 727 00:37:07,049 --> 00:37:11,009 Uh, my 4-year-old, you know, he'll we'll be eating steak and he just knows now at 728 00:37:11,009 --> 00:37:15,240 this point, if we're eating burger steak, it's elk and we will be eating steak. 729 00:37:15,240 --> 00:37:17,700 And he is like, dad, which, which bull is this? 730 00:37:17,700 --> 00:37:18,029 You know? 731 00:37:18,029 --> 00:37:20,580 And then he wants me to like point to which one it is that, that 732 00:37:20,580 --> 00:37:22,080 we are eating and and whatnot. 733 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:26,910 And so that's super cool, uh, to see, and especially from an early age. 734 00:37:26,910 --> 00:37:28,049 And so, yeah. 735 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:31,020 Long-winded way of saying I'm, I hope at least that they're in camp, 736 00:37:31,379 --> 00:37:34,859 um, or can be close when, when she does, uh, shoot her first elk. 737 00:37:35,940 --> 00:37:38,190 I think that's a really important piece of the puzzle. 738 00:37:38,190 --> 00:37:44,370 I think, uh, people in general are fairly disconnected from their food and however 739 00:37:44,370 --> 00:37:48,899 you can bridge that gap, whether that's gardening in the backyard or going to 740 00:37:48,899 --> 00:37:54,690 the farm market, um, seeing the process of where food lives, if you're a meat 741 00:37:54,690 --> 00:37:57,240 eater and how it ends up on your table. 742 00:37:58,185 --> 00:38:01,155 And if you're a hunter, having the kids involved with this. 743 00:38:01,185 --> 00:38:04,455 'cause it creates such an appreciation, not just for the 744 00:38:04,455 --> 00:38:07,035 food, but also for life in general. 745 00:38:07,035 --> 00:38:11,595 And I find that death is such a closed door activity nowadays, 746 00:38:11,595 --> 00:38:15,465 that it creates a warped idea, uh, in a lot of people's minds. 747 00:38:15,675 --> 00:38:17,085 What they see is death. 748 00:38:17,085 --> 00:38:19,185 The closest thing they get is gonna be video games. 749 00:38:19,185 --> 00:38:24,075 And, uh, that's not really a healthy representation of, uh, of life and death. 750 00:38:24,375 --> 00:38:27,405 I, I think it's really important to be raising your kids and raising your 751 00:38:27,405 --> 00:38:30,135 family with that connection to nature. 752 00:38:30,795 --> 00:38:31,425 Have you, yeah. 753 00:38:32,055 --> 00:38:35,865 Done a lot of hunts with your wife and of course your kids being young, 754 00:38:35,865 --> 00:38:40,305 two and four, probably not a ton with them, but is hunting with a 755 00:38:40,305 --> 00:38:42,435 family a uh, a big thing you do? 756 00:38:43,275 --> 00:38:43,935 It is. 757 00:38:43,995 --> 00:38:48,465 Um, so my wife, when, when we first met, she had never shot a gun. 758 00:38:48,675 --> 00:38:52,635 Um, so actually the very first time we ever, you know, 759 00:38:52,665 --> 00:38:54,090 hung out, we went to, to the. 760 00:38:54,855 --> 00:38:58,245 The, the country and shot some guns and like that was kind of 761 00:38:58,245 --> 00:38:59,565 how we got to know each other. 762 00:38:59,565 --> 00:39:04,575 But, uh, yeah, so it wasn't, she didn't grow up hunting or anything like that. 763 00:39:04,575 --> 00:39:11,085 But, uh, we've hunted deer for probably six or seven years now together. 764 00:39:11,145 --> 00:39:15,884 Um, she shot a lot of really nice bugs with me, a couple of antelope, um, 765 00:39:16,395 --> 00:39:18,315 hopefully a big bull elk this year. 766 00:39:18,315 --> 00:39:22,185 But, you know, we, we get out when we can and, and it is important and 767 00:39:22,185 --> 00:39:24,375 we, I really appreciate that time. 768 00:39:24,585 --> 00:39:28,424 A lot of the hunts I do too are like somewhat work related, and 769 00:39:28,424 --> 00:39:29,444 so they're outta state stuff. 770 00:39:29,444 --> 00:39:33,855 So I, I wouldn't say like we're hunting partners every time, but when we, when we 771 00:39:33,855 --> 00:39:37,964 can, we definitely make time to get out with each other and yeah, I'm excited for 772 00:39:37,964 --> 00:39:41,685 the, the boys to start coming with us and yeah, the, the antelope last year, for 773 00:39:41,685 --> 00:39:46,335 example, the boys, uh, were with my dad in the pickup and my wife and I went out 774 00:39:46,335 --> 00:39:50,714 and made a couple stocks, shot two nice bucks, and then they were able to come. 775 00:39:51,165 --> 00:39:53,355 Get pictures, you know, with us and the animals. 776 00:39:53,355 --> 00:39:58,544 And then also see like us breaking them down in the field and, and 777 00:39:58,544 --> 00:40:00,404 then putting that meat on ice. 778 00:40:00,404 --> 00:40:05,595 And to me that was like very important for them to be there for that because, 779 00:40:05,924 --> 00:40:10,455 you know, like you said, not only the, the connection to death in your food, 780 00:40:10,460 --> 00:40:13,544 but it's like, here's the process and like, here's the work that goes into it. 781 00:40:14,145 --> 00:40:17,565 And it's really hot out right now and like, you know, you're, you're 782 00:40:17,565 --> 00:40:21,884 cutting up meat and getting it on ice and that's like, we value this a lot. 783 00:40:21,915 --> 00:40:25,335 And yes, it's really, it's fun to go hunting and it's fun to get that shot 784 00:40:25,335 --> 00:40:29,865 on a nice buck, but we, we really value, like taking care of the meat 785 00:40:29,865 --> 00:40:33,345 and then, you know, processing it ourselves if you can or whatever 786 00:40:33,345 --> 00:40:35,294 you, whatever you need to do there. 787 00:40:35,384 --> 00:40:38,384 Um, but then pulling it outta the freezer and being like, Hey, this 788 00:40:38,384 --> 00:40:40,754 is the animal animal buck that mom shot last year that you were with. 789 00:40:40,754 --> 00:40:44,384 Like, and that connection, like you can already just see, see the wheels turning 790 00:40:44,384 --> 00:40:48,975 in their minds, which is really, really important and, and cool to be able to do. 791 00:40:49,995 --> 00:40:52,575 It's funny, some of the similarities that I'm sensing here. 792 00:40:52,634 --> 00:40:57,435 So my wife as well had never shot a firearm prior to meeting me, 793 00:40:57,435 --> 00:41:04,185 and she came from a very liberal left-leaning, uh, family and background. 794 00:41:04,274 --> 00:41:07,035 Uh, so much so, so her maiden name is Sinclair. 795 00:41:07,424 --> 00:41:11,535 Uh, she's directly related to Margaret Sinclair, who was, uh, 796 00:41:11,565 --> 00:41:16,004 Pierre Elliot, Trudeau's wife, Justin Trudeau's, uh, mother. 797 00:41:17,415 --> 00:41:21,915 There was always that sort of liberal sentiment in the family and to see where 798 00:41:22,035 --> 00:41:24,345 her upbringing was and where she is now. 799 00:41:24,375 --> 00:41:27,944 What, uh, the driver for her, she's a chef by trade, was that 800 00:41:27,944 --> 00:41:31,274 connection to the food and wanting just to be deeper connected to it. 801 00:41:31,815 --> 00:41:37,214 And, um, it's funny watching people who come from a very liberal background 802 00:41:37,365 --> 00:41:44,115 and, uh, opening up to what's more this redneck hunting, fish and sort of culture. 803 00:41:45,075 --> 00:41:46,635 Not in a redneck way. 804 00:41:47,025 --> 00:41:47,085 Yeah. 805 00:41:47,085 --> 00:41:50,085 And, and seeing how, seeing how that resonates with them and 806 00:41:50,085 --> 00:41:51,195 seeing how their lives change. 807 00:41:51,195 --> 00:41:55,365 And I can tell you without a doubt, my best hunts have always been with 808 00:41:55,365 --> 00:41:58,305 family, with, uh, my wife, with my kids. 809 00:41:58,335 --> 00:42:01,245 And, uh, there's something really special about that when you're sitting 810 00:42:01,245 --> 00:42:05,055 down at the table and everyone, like, my son is this, is this from the deer 811 00:42:05,055 --> 00:42:09,615 that I shot last season going on and telling his sister about the adventure. 812 00:42:09,615 --> 00:42:12,045 I mean, there's, there's something to that. 813 00:42:12,825 --> 00:42:13,155 Yeah. 814 00:42:13,575 --> 00:42:15,075 No, it's, it's really cool. 815 00:42:15,075 --> 00:42:21,645 And, um, yeah, I feel very fortunate to be able to, you know, kind of tying 816 00:42:21,645 --> 00:42:23,235 it back into OnX in some sense, right? 817 00:42:23,235 --> 00:42:27,015 Like I, I've gotten to do a lot of really cool things because of the 818 00:42:27,015 --> 00:42:30,915 opportunities that I've been given through, through this job that I currently 819 00:42:30,915 --> 00:42:32,415 have and, and working in the industry. 820 00:42:32,415 --> 00:42:34,845 And, um, yeah, it's just expanded. 821 00:42:35,715 --> 00:42:39,765 Expanded what I personally have, have done or probably would've done. 822 00:42:40,470 --> 00:42:43,860 With my personal hunting, you know, Montana, there's a lot of things to do. 823 00:42:43,860 --> 00:42:46,260 There's a lot of, a lot of critters, a lot of seasons, and 824 00:42:46,590 --> 00:42:47,940 that's kind of where my mind was. 825 00:42:47,940 --> 00:42:51,960 And, uh, you brought up Alaska and I've been to Alaska twice and they were, you 826 00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:57,090 know, both kind of opportunities through my job, uh, to go explore and hunt Alaska. 827 00:42:57,090 --> 00:42:57,870 It was just amazing. 828 00:42:57,870 --> 00:42:59,730 Like the first one was Kodiak. 829 00:42:59,820 --> 00:43:03,930 Uh, we hunted sick of Blacktail on Kodiak, just the, the coolest 830 00:43:03,930 --> 00:43:05,790 place probably I've ever been. 831 00:43:05,910 --> 00:43:07,020 Um, amazing. 832 00:43:07,020 --> 00:43:11,190 And then last year went up to Northern Alaska and, uh, I shot 833 00:43:11,190 --> 00:43:13,260 a, a caribou with my bow up there. 834 00:43:13,260 --> 00:43:18,450 And just another thing that, you know, I probably, I wouldn't say that I, 835 00:43:18,510 --> 00:43:21,570 I wouldn't have done it right, but it would just be a lot harder to do. 836 00:43:21,930 --> 00:43:25,440 Um, and it's less likely that I would get to go do those type of things 837 00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:27,510 without, uh, without some of the things. 838 00:43:27,510 --> 00:43:32,190 So yeah, I just feel super, super fortunate, uh, to be able to do those 839 00:43:32,190 --> 00:43:38,130 things and explore new areas from, you know, deer hunts in Colorado to Alaska. 840 00:43:38,190 --> 00:43:38,580 Uh. 841 00:43:39,525 --> 00:43:42,165 My wife, and actually this, this one definitely wasn't a work one, but my 842 00:43:42,165 --> 00:43:46,275 wife, and actually we got married, uh, it's just been a little over five 843 00:43:46,275 --> 00:43:53,055 years ago right in the, the peak of the, the COVID and, uh, pandemic. 844 00:43:53,055 --> 00:43:58,005 And, you know, we couldn't really travel anywhere for a honeymoon, right? 845 00:43:58,005 --> 00:44:01,815 Like it was hard to travel and go do anything, uh, at that time. 846 00:44:01,815 --> 00:44:06,015 So we, we had our wedding and got married and kind of set aside a honeymoon 847 00:44:06,015 --> 00:44:09,525 fund in the, the gun stay for five years, and thankfully didn't touch it. 848 00:44:09,555 --> 00:44:14,805 Mm. This year we, we went to Hawaii and, uh, did our honeymoon on our 849 00:44:14,805 --> 00:44:17,475 five year anniversary, or close to our five year anniversary. 850 00:44:17,475 --> 00:44:20,475 And, um, I hunted access to deer down there. 851 00:44:20,535 --> 00:44:24,315 So it was, it was cool to tie in a, a morning of access to your 852 00:44:24,315 --> 00:44:28,305 hunting in a, a new area and, uh, be able to do that on quote. 853 00:44:28,395 --> 00:44:29,775 My honeymoon was pretty awesome. 854 00:44:30,615 --> 00:44:31,155 Nice. 855 00:44:31,155 --> 00:44:31,755 What island? 856 00:44:32,565 --> 00:44:33,330 Uh, we were on Maui. 857 00:44:33,765 --> 00:44:33,795 Okay. 858 00:44:35,610 --> 00:44:37,605 I, I hunted axis on Molokai. 859 00:44:37,995 --> 00:44:40,125 That was, uh, that's kind of a neat experience. 860 00:44:40,185 --> 00:44:40,995 They're everywhere. 861 00:44:40,995 --> 00:44:41,005 Yeah. 862 00:44:41,110 --> 00:44:44,565 And yeah, it's, I've never had a deer bark at me before, but that was kind of cool. 863 00:44:45,015 --> 00:44:45,435 Yeah. 864 00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:47,355 Yeah, it was, it was an experience for sure. 865 00:44:47,355 --> 00:44:51,075 I mean, we saw, shoot, we were a little early, earlier than the rut. 866 00:44:51,675 --> 00:44:56,655 Um, but we saw in one morning probably three, 400 deer. 867 00:44:57,705 --> 00:45:00,435 Crazy, I mean, a ton of deer, only a couple mature bucks. 868 00:45:00,855 --> 00:45:06,855 Um, but yeah, it was just, it was cool, cool hunting and Yeah, I know not, not 869 00:45:06,855 --> 00:45:08,205 too many guys can stay on their honeymoon. 870 00:45:08,205 --> 00:45:10,785 They went hunting, so very fortunate on that end. 871 00:45:11,745 --> 00:45:12,525 A hundred percent. 872 00:45:12,855 --> 00:45:14,475 Can you tell me about scuba moose? 873 00:45:15,575 --> 00:45:15,855 Yes. 874 00:45:16,455 --> 00:45:17,865 You, uh, yeah. 875 00:45:17,865 --> 00:45:22,725 So Scuba moose, uh, that's, that's a whole podcast by itself there. 876 00:45:22,725 --> 00:45:26,745 That's, that's a pretty crazy, pretty crazy story. 877 00:45:26,745 --> 00:45:29,895 So this was, shoot, probably. 878 00:45:31,635 --> 00:45:37,035 Five, six years ago at this point, maybe a little longer even, uh, my dad called 879 00:45:37,035 --> 00:45:40,395 me and he said, well, he called me much earlier than this, but he called me and 880 00:45:40,395 --> 00:45:44,775 he said, Hey, I'm thinking about doing a archery moose hunt in British Columbia. 881 00:45:45,765 --> 00:45:47,325 And I was like, you've got my interest. 882 00:45:47,325 --> 00:45:48,205 What, uh mm-hmm. 883 00:45:48,205 --> 00:45:48,690 What's going on? 884 00:45:49,070 --> 00:45:54,255 And so him and a friend of his were, were talking about going up and, and doing this 885 00:45:54,255 --> 00:45:55,785 kind of once in a lifetime moose hunt. 886 00:45:56,175 --> 00:46:01,485 Um, and it was one of those things where I, I didn't, you know, have the money 887 00:46:01,485 --> 00:46:06,675 to go do it myself, but I was like, 100% I'm coming with, uh, figure out 888 00:46:06,675 --> 00:46:09,975 what it would cost for me to come, you know, just as a, a non hunter in camp 889 00:46:09,975 --> 00:46:11,625 and, and be there and experience it. 890 00:46:11,625 --> 00:46:12,945 So I, I went up with him. 891 00:46:13,335 --> 00:46:17,895 Uh, we drove like 35 hours from Montana, hopped on a float plane, 892 00:46:18,225 --> 00:46:20,505 you know, just crazy stuff for us. 893 00:46:20,505 --> 00:46:22,275 Like I know some folks that live up there. 894 00:46:22,275 --> 00:46:23,145 That's just kind of what. 895 00:46:23,895 --> 00:46:24,765 What you do, right? 896 00:46:24,765 --> 00:46:27,855 But, uh, it's not what we do in Montana. 897 00:46:28,065 --> 00:46:31,365 We don't use float planes and, and get dropped off in the 898 00:46:31,365 --> 00:46:32,325 middle of nowhere like that. 899 00:46:32,325 --> 00:46:34,455 And it was just a really cool experience. 900 00:46:34,455 --> 00:46:37,995 And, uh, again, this could be a two hour long conversation with 901 00:46:37,995 --> 00:46:42,075 this, this hunt in particular, but essentially had an amazing hunt. 902 00:46:42,105 --> 00:46:45,885 Uh, the hunting was relatively slow for the first four or five 903 00:46:45,885 --> 00:46:48,585 days weather started to come in. 904 00:46:48,765 --> 00:46:52,305 Um, and this was an archery, archery moose hunt. 905 00:46:52,815 --> 00:46:56,205 And the lakes were starting to freeze up a little bit and then 906 00:46:56,205 --> 00:46:57,525 they would thaw during the day. 907 00:46:58,005 --> 00:47:02,805 Fast forward a couple days and we, we saw and called in just 908 00:47:02,805 --> 00:47:04,485 like an absolute giant bull. 909 00:47:04,575 --> 00:47:07,335 Um, I don't know. 910 00:47:07,515 --> 00:47:10,635 I mean, I've been around some SHIs moose in Montana and whatnot. 911 00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:14,100 You know, you know, you, you watch videos and whatnot. 912 00:47:14,100 --> 00:47:16,259 You know what a, a big bull is just like any animal. 913 00:47:16,259 --> 00:47:16,350 Mm-hmm. 914 00:47:16,590 --> 00:47:19,529 But it was like one of those bulls that you didn't have to know a single 915 00:47:19,529 --> 00:47:23,460 thing about moose to know like, holy cows, this thing is giant. 916 00:47:24,090 --> 00:47:28,170 Um, and so, yeah, I was standing right next to my dad when this bull came 917 00:47:28,170 --> 00:47:31,049 across in front of us, like 40 yards. 918 00:47:31,049 --> 00:47:35,700 And, uh, he drew and the bull, the bull stopped like kind of quartering to us. 919 00:47:35,759 --> 00:47:41,009 And, um, I videoed this whole thing, you know, just on like a, a crappy 920 00:47:41,009 --> 00:47:45,120 little handycam and whatnot and put together a, uh, a video on it. 921 00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:50,040 But, uh, yeah, the bull stopped quartering to, and my dad was at full draw and like 922 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:51,930 I whispered his ear like, don't shoot. 923 00:47:51,930 --> 00:47:54,870 Like that shoulder was just right there and it would've been a pretty risky shot. 924 00:47:54,870 --> 00:47:57,480 And, uh, he obviously was thinking the same thing. 925 00:47:57,480 --> 00:48:01,380 And when that bull went to leave, he turned, my dad shot, got narrow 926 00:48:01,380 --> 00:48:05,040 in him, and he drew his bow again. 927 00:48:05,040 --> 00:48:07,740 And, and I stopped that bull as he was kind of going outta sight. 928 00:48:08,445 --> 00:48:09,165 He shot again. 929 00:48:09,165 --> 00:48:10,245 Got a second arrow in him. 930 00:48:10,665 --> 00:48:15,765 Um, and uh, yeah, that bull went around embedded and there's, there's so many 931 00:48:16,155 --> 00:48:20,325 pieces to this story that kind of made it all like a really unique scenario. 932 00:48:20,325 --> 00:48:22,605 But keep in mind that the lakes were freezing over. 933 00:48:22,605 --> 00:48:23,445 That's a key part. 934 00:48:24,045 --> 00:48:27,945 So this bull goes over in, in beds and another bull. 935 00:48:28,305 --> 00:48:30,675 We accidentally called in another bull and it came and got him out 936 00:48:30,675 --> 00:48:33,915 of his bed, bumped him up, and we watched him go in the timber. 937 00:48:34,275 --> 00:48:38,445 And we could tell like this, it was a fatal shot, like you could tell for sure, 938 00:48:38,955 --> 00:48:41,085 but it might take a little bit of time. 939 00:48:41,085 --> 00:48:42,915 So we're, we had some discussions. 940 00:48:42,915 --> 00:48:45,585 It's like, should we back out? 941 00:48:45,585 --> 00:48:46,305 Should we wait? 942 00:48:46,335 --> 00:48:49,365 You know, should we wait till dark and then go try and recover him? 943 00:48:49,425 --> 00:48:52,755 And we unanimously decide like, let's just back out. 944 00:48:52,755 --> 00:48:53,955 That bull's gonna be there. 945 00:48:54,315 --> 00:48:55,515 We'll come in right away. 946 00:48:55,515 --> 00:48:57,465 First thing in the morning that bull's gonna be there. 947 00:48:57,495 --> 00:48:58,515 Let's not push him. 948 00:48:58,815 --> 00:48:59,325 Um. 949 00:49:00,015 --> 00:49:01,065 Let's, let's do the right thing here. 950 00:49:01,065 --> 00:49:04,365 So we hiked all the way back out, went to go get picked up, and 951 00:49:04,365 --> 00:49:06,045 uh, the main guy picked us up. 952 00:49:06,045 --> 00:49:09,945 We told him about, you know, the, this crazy bull and this crazy, 953 00:49:09,945 --> 00:49:11,265 you know, what just happened. 954 00:49:11,265 --> 00:49:12,765 And he was excited. 955 00:49:12,765 --> 00:49:16,575 And then the look on his face just changed and we're like, what's, what's the matter? 956 00:49:16,725 --> 00:49:19,935 And he was like, the float plane called and they have to 957 00:49:19,935 --> 00:49:21,285 pick us up tomorrow morning. 958 00:49:21,645 --> 00:49:23,505 We have a crazy weather system coming in. 959 00:49:23,505 --> 00:49:25,785 And they're worried that like, if they don't get their hunters out 960 00:49:25,785 --> 00:49:29,835 tomorrow morning, like now that they're, we're gonna be stuck here. 961 00:49:30,915 --> 00:49:31,185 Hmm. 962 00:49:31,845 --> 00:49:35,085 That changed things from, like, we were, you know, pretty high spirits 963 00:49:35,085 --> 00:49:38,205 of like that bull, you know, there's a good chance that bull probably is 964 00:49:38,205 --> 00:49:39,915 already dead, um, laying in his bed. 965 00:49:39,915 --> 00:49:40,935 But we're not gonna push it. 966 00:49:40,935 --> 00:49:44,865 We're gonna just find him first thing in the morning to looking at the clock. 967 00:49:44,865 --> 00:49:47,805 And we're like, we've got like 45 minutes until it's dark. 968 00:49:47,985 --> 00:49:50,145 Let's go recover that bull now. 969 00:49:50,325 --> 00:49:53,070 Um, because we have to get him cut up because we have to leave. 970 00:49:53,940 --> 00:49:54,990 First thing tomorrow morning. 971 00:49:55,740 --> 00:49:59,549 So we basically ran all the way back there, picked up the blood, it was great 972 00:49:59,549 --> 00:50:05,310 blood, found the arrow, uh, we're tracking that bull through the timber and he, he 973 00:50:05,310 --> 00:50:07,590 was almost expired, jumped out of his bed. 974 00:50:07,590 --> 00:50:10,020 We bumped him and he ran straight into the water. 975 00:50:10,650 --> 00:50:11,040 Ah, 976 00:50:11,100 --> 00:50:15,060 and the whole time, like the guides were telling us like if a moose gets 977 00:50:15,060 --> 00:50:16,529 hit and he, he runs into the water. 978 00:50:16,529 --> 00:50:17,490 Like it's, it's okay. 979 00:50:17,549 --> 00:50:18,810 Like it happens. 980 00:50:18,870 --> 00:50:21,450 They've recovered several moose from the lakes before. 981 00:50:21,810 --> 00:50:24,810 Go get inflate, uh, a raft if you need to get it shore. 982 00:50:24,810 --> 00:50:26,340 Cut it up like it happens. 983 00:50:26,670 --> 00:50:27,480 Not a big deal. 984 00:50:27,540 --> 00:50:35,370 Well this bull went out there and, uh, and he died and sunk and did not resurface. 985 00:50:35,370 --> 00:50:39,690 And we were standing there looking right where we had last seen him and just 986 00:50:39,690 --> 00:50:43,110 waiting, you know, and waiting and waiting and finally pulling out our headlamps 987 00:50:43,110 --> 00:50:46,200 and stuff and looking and no moose. 988 00:50:46,230 --> 00:50:49,200 And, you know, we just, it was kind of a weird. 989 00:50:49,680 --> 00:50:52,380 How everything happened was just a crazy set of circumstances, 990 00:50:52,380 --> 00:50:55,590 but we were just waiting for this moose to float, and he never did. 991 00:50:55,650 --> 00:51:00,570 Well, it got so dark that we were like, we don't, there's nothing we can do. 992 00:51:00,660 --> 00:51:02,700 The water was basically freezing. 993 00:51:02,700 --> 00:51:06,390 So at one point I was like, what if we built a fire and I swam 994 00:51:06,390 --> 00:51:09,600 out there and tried to, you know, find him and wrap something around 995 00:51:09,600 --> 00:51:11,250 his paddle or whatever, right. 996 00:51:11,340 --> 00:51:13,350 Just all, all options around the table. 997 00:51:13,355 --> 00:51:13,415 Mm-hmm. 998 00:51:13,535 --> 00:51:17,250 And the guide right away was like, yeah, that's absolutely not happening. 999 00:51:17,310 --> 00:51:22,140 Like even if we build a big fire, like there's hypothermia 1000 00:51:22,170 --> 00:51:24,420 and, you know, risk of whatever. 1001 00:51:24,420 --> 00:51:30,480 So anyways, we, we hike back, go back to the, the cabin and essentially we 1002 00:51:30,540 --> 00:51:34,380 devised a plan that the next morning the float plane would show up. 1003 00:51:34,380 --> 00:51:37,440 We would hop in it, we would fly over to that lake where the moose was in. 1004 00:51:37,935 --> 00:51:42,915 He would be floating because Moose float and recover him and start 1005 00:51:42,915 --> 00:51:45,825 working him up while they start shuttling the other folks in gear out. 1006 00:51:46,545 --> 00:51:49,305 And so we were still like, all right, well that's, you know, 1007 00:51:49,305 --> 00:51:50,325 that's what's gonna happen. 1008 00:51:50,415 --> 00:51:55,635 And again, the set of circumstances like that, the float plane ended up not showing 1009 00:51:55,635 --> 00:51:58,065 up until like 4:00 PM the next afternoon. 1010 00:51:58,785 --> 00:51:58,815 Mm. 1011 00:51:58,965 --> 00:52:01,065 Because of some other things that went wrong. 1012 00:52:01,125 --> 00:52:04,630 And so hindsight, we could have left him, but, you know, it's just you, 1013 00:52:04,635 --> 00:52:06,225 you don't know, and you, you mm-hmm. 1014 00:52:06,225 --> 00:52:07,695 Play the, the hand that you're dealt. 1015 00:52:07,695 --> 00:52:10,845 And essentially when they showed up, we, we flew the other lake and 1016 00:52:10,845 --> 00:52:12,195 we did everything that we could. 1017 00:52:12,555 --> 00:52:15,555 Um, and there he still hadn't floated. 1018 00:52:15,555 --> 00:52:19,065 There was, there was nothing there we couldn't see through the water. 1019 00:52:19,245 --> 00:52:21,135 There was just no signs of this moose. 1020 00:52:21,135 --> 00:52:25,515 And essentially the, the pilot was like, you guys are, you guys are leaving. 1021 00:52:25,515 --> 00:52:26,295 You don't have a choice. 1022 00:52:26,295 --> 00:52:28,005 We have to get you out of here right now. 1023 00:52:28,305 --> 00:52:31,785 So we essentially did everything we could and, and we're forced to leave. 1024 00:52:32,310 --> 00:52:35,880 Um, and yeah, it was just incredibly disheartening when we left, you know, 1025 00:52:35,880 --> 00:52:37,230 all of our gear loaded behind us. 1026 00:52:37,230 --> 00:52:41,460 We flew right over that lake and between frantically searching for any 1027 00:52:41,460 --> 00:52:45,480 sign of, of that moose and knowing what had happened and where he was, it 1028 00:52:45,480 --> 00:52:51,270 was just like, you know, just the, the craziest feeling ever of super hard 1029 00:52:51,270 --> 00:52:52,950 hunt once in a lifetime hunt for us. 1030 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:57,930 No moose sightings to like the biggest bull that we will probably ever see in our 1031 00:52:57,930 --> 00:53:00,480 lifetime at 40 yards to that happening. 1032 00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:03,180 And now we're going home and there's nothing we can do about it, 1033 00:53:03,180 --> 00:53:03,990 you know, it's out of our hands. 1034 00:53:03,990 --> 00:53:08,760 So, um, essentially some, some phone calls were made and we were like, Hey, we, 1035 00:53:09,840 --> 00:53:13,800 we realized it's incredibly bittersweet because that, that meat is, is no longer 1036 00:53:13,800 --> 00:53:15,570 ours, even if we recover this bull. 1037 00:53:15,570 --> 00:53:20,460 But, uh, we, my dad wanted to go up and, and give it one more shot to try and 1038 00:53:20,520 --> 00:53:24,810 find him right, to just kind of more putting, put an end to the, the story 1039 00:53:24,870 --> 00:53:28,560 of, you know, we did every possible thing we could to recover that moose. 1040 00:53:29,100 --> 00:53:34,710 And so I think it was July, June or July when the ice came off, uh, and 1041 00:53:34,710 --> 00:53:38,580 we headed up north, hop back in a float plane, another 35 hour drive up 1042 00:53:38,580 --> 00:53:40,170 there, hop back in a float plane Wow. 1043 00:53:40,980 --> 00:53:45,480 With, uh, all sorts of camping gear with, uh, chains, ropes, pulleys, 1044 00:53:45,480 --> 00:53:49,170 whatever we could to poss, you know, we had an entire winter to think about 1045 00:53:49,350 --> 00:53:52,560 how we could recover this moose if he is still at the bottom of the lake. 1046 00:53:53,070 --> 00:53:56,790 Um, and we flew in there with enough camping gear for three or four days 1047 00:53:56,790 --> 00:54:01,710 and, which honestly like, obviously I wish we would've just recovered 1048 00:54:01,710 --> 00:54:04,470 that bull when, when he had shot him. 1049 00:54:04,770 --> 00:54:08,610 But it was also really, it was cool to go back into that country because I 1050 00:54:08,610 --> 00:54:12,810 left that following or the previous fall being like, I'll never be back here. 1051 00:54:13,020 --> 00:54:15,930 Like, what are the chance that I will ever step foot in this country again? 1052 00:54:16,290 --> 00:54:18,750 And it was almost like one of those things where you're sad leaving. 1053 00:54:19,350 --> 00:54:21,570 Uh, so it was cool to go back into that same country. 1054 00:54:21,600 --> 00:54:24,940 Um, obviously I wish it was under different circumstances, but, uh, we. 1055 00:54:25,859 --> 00:54:29,399 We got to the lake and we buzzed a couple times with the plane and didn't 1056 00:54:29,399 --> 00:54:30,810 see anything, didn't see anything. 1057 00:54:32,160 --> 00:54:35,370 And uh, we were about to get dropped off and the pilot switched directions 1058 00:54:35,370 --> 00:54:36,960 on which way he was flying the lake. 1059 00:54:37,350 --> 00:54:39,180 And we flew around the other way. 1060 00:54:39,240 --> 00:54:42,569 And I still, still remember I had a headset on and the pilot did, 1061 00:54:42,569 --> 00:54:46,379 but my dad and the, the guy that came back in with us did not. 1062 00:54:46,890 --> 00:54:50,250 And so I was talking to the pilot and he was like, I think I see something. 1063 00:54:51,089 --> 00:54:55,500 And he turned around and went a little bit lower and banked the plane really hard. 1064 00:54:55,500 --> 00:54:56,759 And he's like, I got him. 1065 00:54:56,759 --> 00:54:58,920 He is like, that is, that's the bull. 1066 00:54:58,920 --> 00:55:01,740 He's red on the shore, like absolute giant. 1067 00:55:02,040 --> 00:55:06,600 Like I see him and I remember I asked him like five times, I was like, are you sure? 1068 00:55:06,990 --> 00:55:09,359 This is like, that's my dad's bull. 1069 00:55:09,569 --> 00:55:11,549 Because I didn't want to tell my dad like, Hey, we got him. 1070 00:55:11,549 --> 00:55:11,850 You know? 1071 00:55:11,879 --> 00:55:13,259 'cause he couldn't hear our conversation. 1072 00:55:13,350 --> 00:55:13,440 Mm-hmm. 1073 00:55:13,740 --> 00:55:16,470 I didn't wanna tell him we got him if it, if it wasn't or if it was just 1074 00:55:16,470 --> 00:55:17,790 a different deadhead or something. 1075 00:55:17,790 --> 00:55:18,089 Right. 1076 00:55:18,629 --> 00:55:19,890 And so he is like, there's no way. 1077 00:55:19,890 --> 00:55:20,790 That's not that bull. 1078 00:55:20,819 --> 00:55:22,620 It's like one of the biggest moose I've seen. 1079 00:55:23,384 --> 00:55:26,504 Around here and I can tell from the plane, so I, I tapped him on the shoulder 1080 00:55:26,504 --> 00:55:29,384 again with thumbs up and, you know, it's so loud in those, those beavers 1081 00:55:29,384 --> 00:55:30,435 that you can't really hear each other. 1082 00:55:30,435 --> 00:55:35,024 But yeah, uh, yeah, it was just a really cool moment and we, we landed and, uh, 1083 00:55:35,055 --> 00:55:39,674 recovered him and, uh, all the bones, what we had, basically what we had 1084 00:55:39,674 --> 00:55:45,134 determined was at some point, uh, I don't know if it took a while for the ice to 1085 00:55:45,134 --> 00:55:47,085 actually get up there or what happened. 1086 00:55:47,085 --> 00:55:50,174 I don't know if a, a grizzly, like if he floated and a grizzly went out 1087 00:55:50,174 --> 00:55:53,924 and got him and drug him to shore or if he floated and pushed to shore. 1088 00:55:54,165 --> 00:55:57,674 But that entire embankment around where that moose was, was dug out 1089 00:55:58,035 --> 00:55:59,415 and there was bear sign everywhere. 1090 00:55:59,504 --> 00:56:06,165 So at some point, whether it be that, that spring or the winter before hibernation, 1091 00:56:06,555 --> 00:56:11,145 uh, a bear had been on that moose and you know, had completely dug out the bank. 1092 00:56:11,145 --> 00:56:15,165 'cause I had video and photos from the air of what that bank looked 1093 00:56:15,165 --> 00:56:17,714 like before and then after when we got there, and it was just like. 1094 00:56:18,270 --> 00:56:20,760 A grizzly just lived on top of that moose essentially. 1095 00:56:20,820 --> 00:56:26,130 Um, so yeah, it was a bunch of bones in the water and, and, uh, you know, 1096 00:56:26,130 --> 00:56:30,450 the skull and, and that moose was, he was in perfect shape and brought 1097 00:56:30,450 --> 00:56:31,590 him back home and cleaned him up. 1098 00:56:31,590 --> 00:56:34,170 And now he is, he's in my, my dad's shop. 1099 00:56:34,230 --> 00:56:38,190 Um, which again, it wasn't necessarily going back for the 1100 00:56:38,190 --> 00:56:39,660 trophy aspect of it, right. 1101 00:56:39,660 --> 00:56:42,750 It was more just like we knew he was right there. 1102 00:56:42,990 --> 00:56:44,070 There's nothing we could do. 1103 00:56:44,070 --> 00:56:48,420 Like we can go back and try to recover him to, to kind of close 1104 00:56:48,420 --> 00:56:49,980 the, the story, if you will. 1105 00:56:49,980 --> 00:56:53,460 And it was more a, a sense of, uh, accomplishment for 1106 00:56:53,460 --> 00:56:54,390 us to go back and do it. 1107 00:56:54,390 --> 00:56:56,400 Then it was like, oh, it's a really big bull, so we gotta 1108 00:56:56,400 --> 00:56:57,390 go back and get him right. 1109 00:56:57,390 --> 00:57:02,040 It was, uh, it was much more fulfilling just to like, we did everything we could 1110 00:57:02,045 --> 00:57:03,900 and, and finally we, we recovered him. 1111 00:57:03,900 --> 00:57:08,100 So it was a, it was a pretty, pretty crazy, you know, from the time he 1112 00:57:08,100 --> 00:57:12,270 shot that bull till we recovered him was like five months or so. 1113 00:57:12,420 --> 00:57:15,675 Um, and yeah, just a, just a crazy orde. 1114 00:57:17,235 --> 00:57:19,185 What a heck of an emotional roller coaster. 1115 00:57:19,785 --> 00:57:24,345 That's, uh, yeah, it was, so I think you flew with Nick ha's company outta Burns 1116 00:57:24,345 --> 00:57:26,444 Lake there, which is, uh, lake District. 1117 00:57:26,805 --> 00:57:29,325 I think that was the, uh, the company you flew with. 1118 00:57:30,009 --> 00:57:31,029 It might have been. 1119 00:57:31,029 --> 00:57:33,190 We, yeah, it was, uh, Des Lake. 1120 00:57:34,790 --> 00:57:35,610 It was it Des Lake? 1121 00:57:36,040 --> 00:57:36,330 Yeah. 1122 00:57:36,640 --> 00:57:36,930 Okay. 1123 00:57:37,049 --> 00:57:41,415 I I, I saw a little clip I saw on the back of the playing the LD on there. 1124 00:57:41,415 --> 00:57:44,565 But you know, those Bush pilots, they're, they're built a little different. 1125 00:57:44,654 --> 00:57:44,745 Yes. 1126 00:57:45,015 --> 00:57:49,875 And, uh, if they say it's time to come out, you kinda have to listen 1127 00:57:49,875 --> 00:57:56,085 to 'em because their threshold for comfort probably exceeds your threshold 1128 00:57:56,085 --> 00:57:57,615 for comfort when you're out there. 1129 00:57:57,645 --> 00:57:57,855 Yeah. 1130 00:57:57,884 --> 00:58:01,395 I remember, um, Nick was, uh, flying us to. 1131 00:58:02,145 --> 00:58:07,425 Uh, during the, um, the hunting season, he'll fly people into different 1132 00:58:07,425 --> 00:58:11,085 guide outfitters areas and he set up some cabins on a few lakes and 1133 00:58:11,085 --> 00:58:13,395 he is got an agreement and he says, look it, I don't fly people in for 1134 00:58:13,395 --> 00:58:14,835 hunting unless they're coming for you. 1135 00:58:14,835 --> 00:58:19,875 But, you know, summertime fishing, I got my fishing lodges and people 1136 00:58:19,875 --> 00:58:21,315 can, can use 'em and rent 'em. 1137 00:58:21,315 --> 00:58:25,965 So anyways, went up there with my family, did a, uh, a fishing trip on one of these, 1138 00:58:25,965 --> 00:58:31,605 uh, one of the lakes where he is got a cabin set up and we're flying out there. 1139 00:58:31,635 --> 00:58:35,235 And he's talking about, he says, you know, I don't mean to scare you Trav, 1140 00:58:35,235 --> 00:58:37,275 but man, these things break all the time. 1141 00:58:37,305 --> 00:58:39,105 'cause I was asking where his other plane was, right? 1142 00:58:39,105 --> 00:58:40,215 We're flying in on a beaver. 1143 00:58:40,215 --> 00:58:41,835 He had a 180, uh, Cessna. 1144 00:58:41,835 --> 00:58:43,425 And he's like, these things break all the time. 1145 00:58:43,425 --> 00:58:47,355 He is going to all the problems and issues that the planes have and 1146 00:58:47,595 --> 00:58:49,815 he's taking pictures as we fly in. 1147 00:58:49,815 --> 00:58:51,780 It was about an hour flight that we took him. 1148 00:58:52,695 --> 00:58:55,305 And, uh, I'm like, what are you doing? 1149 00:58:55,305 --> 00:58:57,825 He said, well, you know, that other guy at the, uh, that I had at the 1150 00:58:57,825 --> 00:58:59,235 docks area, he is helping load. 1151 00:58:59,235 --> 00:59:03,465 He's a pilot, he's a helicopter pilot, and, uh, he also flies fixed 1152 00:59:03,465 --> 00:59:07,335 wing and commercially, and he's just coming on board to help me out. 1153 00:59:07,395 --> 00:59:08,085 Oh, okay. 1154 00:59:08,175 --> 00:59:11,985 So I'm just taking pictures of the weather patterns so that he's got a 1155 00:59:11,985 --> 00:59:13,305 better idea of what this looks like. 1156 00:59:13,305 --> 00:59:14,865 'cause he's used to these short runs. 1157 00:59:15,270 --> 00:59:19,230 This longer run is you gotta start making decisions as do we turn around or not? 1158 00:59:19,230 --> 00:59:19,560 Right? 1159 00:59:20,310 --> 00:59:23,190 Anyways, uh, he's going on and he is talking about stuff and I'm 1160 00:59:23,190 --> 00:59:26,460 looking like I'm not really seeing anything that looks too terrible. 1161 00:59:26,819 --> 00:59:30,149 Uh, I think most of their flying's gonna be VFR visual flight rules. 1162 00:59:30,149 --> 00:59:35,100 And, uh, every once in a while you end up getting clouded out a bit. 1163 00:59:35,100 --> 00:59:39,299 And so your IFR, but, uh, he says, we're gonna come around this bank, 1164 00:59:39,540 --> 00:59:42,870 we're gonna see it's our final approach and it's our very last decision 1165 00:59:42,870 --> 00:59:45,029 making time if we hit the lake or not. 1166 00:59:45,029 --> 00:59:48,000 And this is after about an hour flying and we're just about ready to land. 1167 00:59:48,000 --> 00:59:51,509 And I thought he was joking, just given, 'cause I, I'm looking, 1168 00:59:51,509 --> 00:59:52,980 it looks fine enough anyways. 1169 00:59:52,980 --> 00:59:55,920 He goes in, he says, okay, we're doing it. 1170 00:59:56,129 --> 00:59:57,089 Lands a plane. 1171 00:59:57,180 --> 01:00:01,170 I'm like, I I don't get why he's acting like this. 1172 01:00:01,170 --> 01:00:04,710 We run in, we get the spikes off the, uh, the door of the cabin 1173 01:00:04,740 --> 01:00:05,730 'cause he is got these, uh. 1174 01:00:06,315 --> 01:00:09,345 Uh, plywood with spikes coming up to keep the bears out, right? 1175 01:00:09,345 --> 01:00:11,085 And get the boards off the windows. 1176 01:00:11,085 --> 01:00:13,155 He says, okay, you're good starting the fridge. 1177 01:00:13,155 --> 01:00:15,015 You're good with the stuff and, uh, see ya. 1178 01:00:15,225 --> 01:00:15,675 We're out. 1179 01:00:15,705 --> 01:00:16,095 Right? 1180 01:00:16,095 --> 01:00:17,595 And so he's gone. 1181 01:00:18,255 --> 01:00:19,005 Fair enough. 1182 01:00:19,035 --> 01:00:22,245 We spend the, um, uh, a week out there. 1183 01:00:22,275 --> 01:00:27,255 All of our, uh, all of our fresh food didn't really stay fresh 1184 01:00:27,255 --> 01:00:29,205 because his fridge didn't work. 1185 01:00:29,295 --> 01:00:33,135 And, um, uh, so thankfully we were able to catch lots of fish 1186 01:00:33,135 --> 01:00:34,155 and that was our fresh food. 1187 01:00:35,055 --> 01:00:40,665 He comes back in and I'm asking him about his, uh, his buddy. 1188 01:00:40,665 --> 01:00:42,375 He says, oh, well, how's your buddy doing? 1189 01:00:42,375 --> 01:00:44,265 I, I thought maybe he'd be flying out. 1190 01:00:44,295 --> 01:00:45,195 He says, nah, he quit. 1191 01:00:45,705 --> 01:00:46,395 What do you mean he quit? 1192 01:00:46,395 --> 01:00:49,215 He said, I showed him these pictures that I took and, uh, that was it. 1193 01:00:49,245 --> 01:00:51,225 And he says, I can't, I don't have the stomach for this. 1194 01:00:52,020 --> 01:00:52,650 Oh, okay. 1195 01:00:53,010 --> 01:00:57,870 So, um, then, then I sit in the plane and the chair, the seat 1196 01:00:57,960 --> 01:01:00,420 breaks, and I, I'm like, I'm okay. 1197 01:01:00,420 --> 01:01:00,900 That's fine. 1198 01:01:00,900 --> 01:01:02,280 I could do an ab crunch when we go up. 1199 01:01:02,280 --> 01:01:05,910 He's like, Nope, if that chair, if your seat isn't secured in properly, 1200 01:01:06,030 --> 01:01:07,830 we're not taken off safety first. 1201 01:01:07,830 --> 01:01:08,700 I go, okay, fine. 1202 01:01:08,700 --> 01:01:11,880 And gets his leatherman out and he turns this screw like a 1203 01:01:11,880 --> 01:01:14,940 little half turn and just kind of catching onto the back of my seat. 1204 01:01:14,940 --> 01:01:15,780 He's like, there we go. 1205 01:01:15,930 --> 01:01:16,650 Now we're safe. 1206 01:01:16,650 --> 01:01:17,220 I'm like, all right. 1207 01:01:17,250 --> 01:01:18,960 So I'm doing the crotch anyways, right? 1208 01:01:19,470 --> 01:01:23,160 We, we take on off and man, he is great guy. 1209 01:01:23,220 --> 01:01:24,840 Uh, very competent pilot. 1210 01:01:25,530 --> 01:01:32,310 My, uh, uh, wife and son and daughter and dog are in the back of this beaver, 1211 01:01:32,370 --> 01:01:35,430 and I'm the passenger up front because he got a little bit more leg room. 1212 01:01:35,760 --> 01:01:37,080 They're all crammed in the back. 1213 01:01:37,080 --> 01:01:40,530 He's got the plane on the side and he's pointing out different, uh, 1214 01:01:40,560 --> 01:01:43,260 sheep and different, uh, terrain and. 1215 01:01:44,160 --> 01:01:49,440 Uh, my son, uh, he was training to be, become a pilot since an early age. 1216 01:01:49,440 --> 01:01:51,840 So I think at that age he was about 13 or 14. 1217 01:01:51,840 --> 01:01:53,910 And so he's cool as a cucumber. 1218 01:01:53,910 --> 01:01:55,890 This is all new, this, he's all used to it. 1219 01:01:55,890 --> 01:01:59,940 And my daughter and uh, wife are back there and they see the light come on, on 1220 01:01:59,940 --> 01:02:04,590 the, uh, the plane and this thing start flashing and my wife's tapping me on 1221 01:02:04,590 --> 01:02:07,740 the back shoulder and he's pointing out the window looking at stuff and all of a 1222 01:02:07,740 --> 01:02:10,950 sudden we run out of fuel and, uh, ooh. 1223 01:02:11,070 --> 01:02:12,900 But it, but it's got two tanks, right? 1224 01:02:13,230 --> 01:02:17,040 We, we got enough room that we could float down if we needed to glide down to a lake. 1225 01:02:17,040 --> 01:02:19,710 And so he's madly pumping the thing and writing it up. 1226 01:02:20,160 --> 01:02:27,570 But I guess all of this is to say that their comfort level for adventure and risk 1227 01:02:27,870 --> 01:02:32,640 is pretty high if they've made a living outta flying people into the back country. 1228 01:02:32,640 --> 01:02:33,330 So if they've. 1229 01:02:33,825 --> 01:02:36,525 Call in and say, we have to get you out. 1230 01:02:37,005 --> 01:02:39,015 I'm gonna listen to them because Yeah. 1231 01:02:39,045 --> 01:02:40,154 Probably have to leave. 1232 01:02:41,115 --> 01:02:41,505 Yeah. 1233 01:02:41,565 --> 01:02:41,805 Yeah. 1234 01:02:41,805 --> 01:02:44,775 It was, it was just such a cool experience and, uh, yeah, just being 1235 01:02:44,775 --> 01:02:50,355 in that plane, it was like, again, it's not what we do in Montana and 1236 01:02:50,505 --> 01:02:50,955 Mm, 1237 01:02:52,214 --> 01:02:56,265 yes people have used planes to access country and whatnot, but that part 1238 01:02:56,265 --> 01:03:00,734 was, uh, I wouldn't say as cool as the hunt itself, but it was just 1239 01:03:00,734 --> 01:03:02,234 like a part of the experience. 1240 01:03:02,234 --> 01:03:02,444 Right. 1241 01:03:02,444 --> 01:03:06,555 And like, talking to those pilots, um, heard some crazy stories 1242 01:03:06,555 --> 01:03:09,555 'cause we were, you know, a little over an hour flight probably too. 1243 01:03:09,555 --> 01:03:13,815 And one way, and, and yeah, just having conversations and learning 1244 01:03:13,815 --> 01:03:17,295 about their life and how they became to be a Bush pilot, uh, is pretty cool. 1245 01:03:17,295 --> 01:03:20,714 And, uh, I don't know how much truth there is to this, but there's probably 1246 01:03:20,714 --> 01:03:25,305 some, uh, Pete, one of the, the main guy with us was telling us, you know, 1247 01:03:25,305 --> 01:03:29,685 about all of his flight stories over the years and, and situations and stuff. 1248 01:03:29,685 --> 01:03:31,065 And he is like, yeah, you don't judge. 1249 01:03:31,125 --> 01:03:31,245 Uh. 1250 01:03:31,980 --> 01:03:32,520 What do you say? 1251 01:03:32,520 --> 01:03:36,089 Something about how you don't judge a pilot by how many 1252 01:03:36,089 --> 01:03:37,560 times if he's crashed or not. 1253 01:03:37,560 --> 01:03:40,890 You judge a, a good bush pilot by how many times he's crashed and 1254 01:03:40,890 --> 01:03:42,634 lived, and I was like, mm-hmm. 1255 01:03:42,839 --> 01:03:48,029 Oh, that's a, that's a kind of an eye-opening statement of like, oh yeah, 1256 01:03:48,029 --> 01:03:51,180 that guy's crashed a few planes, but he lives, he's like, he's still flying. 1257 01:03:51,180 --> 01:03:51,839 He is doing good. 1258 01:03:51,899 --> 01:03:55,950 Uh, which is a kind of a crazy, crazy ordeal, but, uh, yeah, just a 1259 01:03:55,950 --> 01:03:59,009 different, different way of transport up there and it's, it was pretty cool. 1260 01:03:59,879 --> 01:04:00,060 That 1261 01:04:00,060 --> 01:04:00,450 is neat. 1262 01:04:00,899 --> 01:04:02,910 Is there anything that we should be talking about that 1263 01:04:02,910 --> 01:04:03,839 we haven't talked about? 1264 01:04:05,040 --> 01:04:05,940 I don't think so. 1265 01:04:06,000 --> 01:04:09,660 Um, yeah, I mean, I guess to, to kind of bring full circle to the OnX side of 1266 01:04:09,660 --> 01:04:12,299 things, but, uh, on X is in Canada now. 1267 01:04:12,420 --> 01:04:13,680 Download it, try it free. 1268 01:04:13,770 --> 01:04:17,879 Uh, if, if you haven't already, and, and, uh, put it to use on your hunts. 1269 01:04:17,879 --> 01:04:18,960 Let us know what you think of it. 1270 01:04:18,960 --> 01:04:23,279 And specifically with Canada, if there's anything that, you know, we feel that 1271 01:04:23,279 --> 01:04:28,080 you guys feel that, uh, we should add, um, or different, let us know. 1272 01:04:28,080 --> 01:04:28,920 We, we love. 1273 01:04:29,355 --> 01:04:33,045 Listening to customer's feedback and, you know, I've got limited experience hunting 1274 01:04:33,045 --> 01:04:35,265 in Canada that the story I just told. 1275 01:04:35,265 --> 01:04:38,625 And, um, I hunted some black bears in Saskatchewan last year, 1276 01:04:38,865 --> 01:04:40,214 um, actually earlier this spring. 1277 01:04:40,214 --> 01:04:43,455 But, uh, yeah, we want to hear from the folks that are out there using it, like 1278 01:04:43,484 --> 01:04:47,174 what is, what's helpful, what's not, uh, what would you like to see in the product? 1279 01:04:47,174 --> 01:04:51,615 But, uh, yeah, I mean the biggest thing again on XY is just download it for 1280 01:04:51,615 --> 01:04:55,995 free, try it, and uh, hopefully it's one of those tools that helps you, 1281 01:04:56,145 --> 01:05:00,105 you know, go more places, explore new country and, and find more success. 1282 01:05:00,105 --> 01:05:00,404 Really 1283 01:05:01,875 --> 01:05:02,174 amazing. 1284 01:05:02,174 --> 01:05:05,685 Dylan, thank you very much for being on this Silver Corp podcast. 1285 01:05:06,734 --> 01:05:07,839 Yeah, thank you for having me.