The Silvercore Podcast with Travis Bader

In Episode 26 of the Silvercore Podcast, Travis speaks with 3 new hunters about thier incredible stories as they learn the ropes in adverse conditions. What these hunter discovered will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

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The Silvercore Podcast explores the mindset and skills that build capable people. Host Travis Bader speaks with hunters, adventurers, soldiers, athletes, craftsmen, and founders about competence, integrity, and the pursuit of mastery, in the wild and in daily life. Hit follow and step into conversations that sharpen your edge.

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So I'm sitting down
with Matt Stewart, Roy

Canda, and Greg Miller.

And it couldn't
be more timely.

So today we sent out
an email a couple of

hours ago, we've had
about, I'm looking 105,

we had 105 responses so
far and essentially it

was an email that went
out, asking people,

what do they want to
see from Silvercore?

And a number of people
are talking about hunting

and one guy came up,
he said, I'm preparing

to go hunting for the
first time this fall,

a podcast discussing
strategies for first

time, hunters would be
appreciated, thank you.

So this couldn't be
better because we

have some new-ish
hunters here.

So Matt, Roy, you guys
got into hunting what?

But a year ago,
two years ago?

Two years ago.

I think we're a
lil bit more than

two years ago yeah.

Yeah we took a hunting
course together.

I wanted to get my
firearms license,

for actually a
handgun to start.

I did not think
about hunting until

they asked us why
we wanted a firearm.

And Matt had said for
hunting, then I just

copied his answer.

Well, I don't count the
first year as hunting.

That was like,
I don't know.

Lots of crazy, well,
not lots of crazy stuff

happened, but we didn't
know what we were doing.

So I don't, you don't
count the first.

I don't know, two months.

No, there's no way.

We had no idea
what we were doing.

We watched a lot of
videos, but still were

very unsure of how to
approach it and what

to do and where to go.

And you guys, aren't your
stereotypical hunters,

like when you think about
Elmer Fudd out there,

traipse around with his
shotgun and coveralls.

Why don't you give a
little bit, just a short

bio background about
yourselves and we can

kind of get rolling.

Sure.

Nobody in my family
is into hunting.

Like had a cousin in
Alberta who is into it.

My dad, he was a
fisherman, but he wasn't

into hunting at all.

I went out once with a
neighbor, I thought it

was kind of cool, but I
never thought about it as

a kid, even as a really
adult, I dunno, I just,

didn't come to mind.

So, you know, I'm
more of a business

person, so, nobody
at work does it like,

it's just not at all.

You have no
family background.

No, no family back.

No mentor.

Really?

No, no mentor.

None at all.

So yeah, it's totally
out of the norm.

Like yeah.

Not even my wife,
nobody in her family.

Nobody

And Roy, how bout you?

Coming from an
Indo-Canadian

background, my dad,
uncles, no one hunted.

They all had firearms,
they had pistols.

They'd go shooting on
the weekends and whatnot

and we'd see them.

Weren't allowed to touch
them, weren't allowed to

see, like handle them,
but we just saw them.

So there's always
a fascination with

firearms, but no
one in our family

hunting, fishing,
tenting for us was

staying at the motel 8.

Like there was, there
was nothing to do with

the outdoors whatsoever.

So zero hunting
background, never

went out, nothing,
all brand new for us.

And Greg, now you're
getting into hunting and

so much as you're, you're
learning from, from

Matt and from Roy here.

Yeah.

It was just one of those
things, I think I went

with these two guys when
they first bought their,

their first rifles and,
they went through the

process at the time.

I wasn't, didn't have
the time to take the

course and commit to it.

And then they started
going out and I mean,

we golfed together,
we fished together.

We do a lot of
activities, outdoor

activities, and it was,
they said, Hey, why

don't you come in and
just see what it's like.

I love the water, I
love being on boats,

I've been around
boats my whole life.

And so I figured, Hey,
if I can go out and

help to start off with
and just see what it's

like, and you know, if
I can help with the set

up or get them out there
and, you know, go do

recoveries or so be it.

And I would, I would
help out where I can.

So for sure it's
something I, I'll

finally get my
license eventually.

It's just a matter
of trying to find

the time more than
more than anything.

Yeah.

And for the listeners
out here, we're

primarily talking about
waterfowl hunting and

being out in the water
now had Matt, Roy,

have you guys had much
experience on the water

or is that a leaning
on Greg a lot here?

Um.

No Matt you got the
fishing background.

I fish.

So I, you know, I
have a boat, so I'm

used to that, so
that part was fine.

Not really in the marsh,
more down the river

then, you know, out in
the Gulf or whatever.

But and then a bit with
my dad being a fisherman

too, but you know, it
didn't really interest

me back in the day, so
it's still fairly new

to me, but, you know,
this is where Greg

comes in and he's kind
of our, make sure we.

It's okay, you
can say it.

Yeah.

He's our safety guy so.

Or Papa bear.

Yeah well he kind
of makes sure

we do it right.

So lights on the
boat going down the

river when it's dark
and stuff like that.

Roy and I are more
like hop in and go so.

No, it's a big deal
that we've got Greg

on the team there
because we, when we

started out and I have
zero water experience.

Like I go with some
experienced fishermen

and before we even get
to the dock, they put

a life jacket on me.

They want to make
sure that we got

Kanda, he's the only
guy that can't swim.

So for me, it's a
big deal having guys

that are into safety.

When Matt and I started
out, we'd go out in

the fog and we'd do our
best, sometimes we didn't

have the lights and when
Greg found out we didn't

have lights, he kind
of looked at us like,

what are you guys doing?

Right.

He bought them for us.

And you know what, thank
goodness he did because

in times out there where
we were like, Whoa,

we need those lights,
it's very important.

So it's, for me, it's
a big education thing,

being with someone who
knows about the water

cause I don't know
anything about the water.

Right.

I'm not sure
which way to go.

A couple of times they've
been trying to teach

me how to drive the
boat as well in case

of emergency, which is
great, cause I've never

driven a boat before.

So here, these guys are
trying to coach me and

teach me if I didn't
have them, I'd be stuck.

So your first
time of going out,

hunting, no mentors.

Going in blind, what'd
you, do you just,

you go on forums?

Oh, hang tight here.

So this, this is
the best story.

This is our first
time hunting.

We bought our, our
shotguns and we'd bought

the blank rounds and
fired them around the

house and it was great.

And then we started
looking to gear, Matt

and I are both gear guys.

So we got gear, we
got all kinds of gear.

We looked pretty,
really pretty.

And then we picked
up the rounds of ammo

and then we decided
we need to, this is

before we had a boat.

Yeah.

And we're like, we need
to go, we need to get

some, some ducks here.

Let's go harvest
some ducks.

So we did some research
and Matt did some

research and we, we
compared notes and

Matt said, okay, we're
going out this day.

Make sure you bring
your ammo, you got your

gun, we're good to go.

And we started out
and we drove down

the road done and.

You drove down some road.

We drove down some road,
we jumped out out of the

truck and we're walking
down the sidewalk.

And I remember some folks
driving by looking at

us and they were very
scared cause two guys

walking down the street
with firearms and about

to jump into the marsh.

So we jump into the
marsh, Matt carry

on from there.

Well, like highest
tide of the year.

So like, they're like,
okay, we'll do just go

off into the road, we'll
go down it to here.

We'll go our, whatever,
150 meters off the road,

make sure we're cool.

But we couldn't see
where we're stepping.

The water's like up
almost to our chest.

We have our gun
over our shoulder.

I'm holding my
box of shells.

Like I didn't even
have it in a bag, like,

or even in a pocket.

And I'm just like.

He's, he's chest deep.

He's chest deep with a
gun in one hand and a

box of ammo in the other.

Behind them is the guy
that can't swim, not

wearing a life vest.

Asking him, hey,
Matt, check, check

how deep it is.

Let me, let me know if
we're going to drop.

I think we're okay.

I had to go first and
then stepping into a

hole and then I went
down and I get all wet.

And then his glove, his
glove got wet, which

is the glove I bought
from about two sets

because they're on sale.

And little did
we know that they

weren't waterproof?

So now we both
have cold hands.

He's got a cold left
hand and I've got

a cold right hand.

Cause I dipped in
the, in the hole too.

So then we decided
that, that wasn't

a very good idea.

Yeah.

Then we decided we
wouldn't, we couldn't

get out far enough to
be away from the road.

So we're like, okay,
this is just not

gonna work and this
is just a dumb idea.

Like even if it was the
lower tide, I don't know.

I still think we
wouldn't have got

out there anyways.

So we went back up,
got in the truck and

then, you know, I'm
like, okay, I think

there is another area
we can get, you know,

off the dike somewhere.

So went up driving,
you know, I don't

know, 15 minutes
found a spot, parked.

Walking down the dike,
and then it was just

weird because we're
there these people are

walking their dogs,
there's people like

taking pictures of birds
and there was other

hunters out there, but.

And it was like, by this
time it was like sunny,

you know, I don't think
there's any ducks around.

There's a lot of people
and I'm just like, we

went out there anyways.

It was a little bit
weird, but and then we

just kinda stood and went
down and stood in the

marsh and then we're just
like, there's nothing

coming in, there's
nothing around, there's

a bunch of hunters that
are all coming back in

and we're like, okay,
this didn't happen today.

But we learned
a few things.

So we were
fully intimated.

We're not quite sure how
far we're supposed to

be from other hunters.

We had just come like
the day before from

the gun range for the
first time when we tried

to shoot trap and I
yelled pull and I went

to shoot the clay and
my, my lock was on.

Your trigger lock
or your safety?

Your safety was on.

Safety, okay.

And yeah, that was
a bit embarrassing.

So fully green,
fully intimidated.

Haven't really shot
before and it's

like, we learned a
couple of things.

Like maybe we
shouldn't go into the

marsh when it's deep
and we don't know.

And that's
probably like noon.

I don't know what time
it was, it was like

middle of the day.

Yeah.

No decoys, nothing.

Nothing.

Not even a bag.

No, just a box
ammo and a hand.

And a firearm.

Greg, you do some
work with coast guard.

Uh, yep with
the volunteers.

Rural Canadian Marine
Search and Rescue.

Do you ever come across
hunters that are.

Yeah for sure.

Waiting out in the marsh?

Yeah.

Just broken down
boats in the river.

Guys go out and
aren't able to get

back cause their
engines won't start.

Most of the time there's
other guys out there

that can bring them
back, but the odd, the

odd time that you can
find a call off Steveson

sitting there off Ladner.

Right.

For sure.

And I think that's kind
of why you hear the

stories of these guys
going out first time

and kind of, for me,
it's like, okay, if I

can take that stress
away because running

the river is stressful.

There's logs, there's
debris running it at

five o'clock in the
morning when there's

no, you know, no
navigation lights.

And so if you can take
that stress away to

allow them just to
kind of focus on the

hunting side of it.

Right.

That's that's, that's
where I fit in.

So it's, it's good.

For now.

For now, yeah.

So that was your
first time out hunting

and an unsuccessful
hunt in so much as

harvesting anything but
successful in that you

learned where not to
go, how not to do it?

Yup.

Exactly.

Would you go back and
you'd like read or

research on the internet
or talk to the gun

store and try and get as
many tips as possible?

Like, what was
your tactic?

I didn't really
tell, talk to anybody

at the gun store.

Cause I, even there, I
felt kind of intimidated

and I'm like, are
these, am I going to

walk in here and this
guy's going to think

I'm a total rookie?

They're not going to
want to, they'll be

like, Oh, I don't want
to bother this guy.

So I, I didn't even
try to be honest.

A lot of it was just
online and then a lot

of it is you can't find
very much information

really about sort of
what's going on here.

You know, in the Lower
Mainland, a lot of stuff

is down in the States.

So I'm like, is this
even relevant to here?

So like, I kind of
figured the areas I

could go, kind of knowing
the river a bit, but

I didn't have a boat
when we first started.

So very quickly we
realized that, you

know what, we got
to have a boat.

So that was kind of one
of the biggest, first

sort of steps I think,
into really progressing.

I went to a couple of
places and I asked a

question or two, but
that felt kind of dumb

right away, cause these
are all experts like.

So the different stores
and whatnot, and they're

not terribly mean
whatsoever, but you

just feel intimidated.

I get it.

You feel like these
guys know everything.

And I'm here trying to
get into this, this new

activity and I don't know
what I'm doing, I'm going

to look like an idiot.

Right.

So I did what Matt did
and I, and I, I found

out about a few, fowl
hunters that were in

the same profession.

So I contacted them.

Okay.

So I got some good tips.

One of the gents
told me make sure you

get some really warm
waders, especially for

your feet cause you're
going to be cold.

Go spend the extra money.

Okay.

Then he said, well, if
you need, you need to

go out with someone who
knows what they're doing.

So even before we got
our boat, I think,

well Matt's boat there.

We went out with a
couple of gents, a

couple of good guys
who knew what they were

doing that took us out.

And that was the first
time I had pulled the

trigger at a duck.

That's right.

I didn't hit anything,
but I gave it a go.

When I got to, I
think the biggest

thing for me was
knowing the etiquette.

That's huge.

Isn't it?

What are you
supposed to do?

How are you
supposed to do it?

That was huge.

Is I just want to
know the, the wrongs

and the rights.

Like, I didn't want to
mess up or offend anyone.

Right.

So having someone
experienced to go out

with, even for just the
basic etiquette made a

huge difference for us.

How about you, Matt?

Yeah, same thing.

I think that, you know,
when we finally went

out with somebody who
knew what they were

doing, you know, short
period of time or one

time it was, it just, I
think we felt a lot more

comfortable after that.

So we're like, okay, you
know, we know what to do.

I mean, one of the
biggest things was

like, when do I
shoot that duck?

Cause never doing it
before you're like,

okay, how close do
they have to be?

And.

Right.

Okay, it's 25 yards,
but this is the first

time you're doing it.

This duck's coming
in, you're getting

all excited and you
take a shot at it.

And then you realize
after like, well,

that thing was like
way too far away.

Like, so you're
just wasting ammo.

Matt's still
a sky blaster.

Like that was
a big thing.

Like how close does
it apt to come in?

And then, you know,
if you shoot it

well, how are you
going to retrieve it?

Right.

That's another part,
like, are you going to

be able to get it or not?

So, you know, those
are some big things.

So going out with
somebody, just that one

time was a big deal so.

I think, I agree with
you first time was

a huge deal for us.

It gave us a lot of
confidence and just

knowing just the
basic stuff of what's

right and wrong.

So then we were ready
to go off on our own

on the boat and learn
some different things.

Yeah.

I think pretty
soon after that is

when we got a boat.

So that kind of turned
things around the

start of it anyways.

Just went full into it.

Got all the cool guy
kit, then the boat.

Yeah.

I got a boat,
cammoed it up.

It was a bit too
shiny aluminum for us.

And then, it kind of
started from there.

And then I think we
ended up having like

waders, jacket, hat,
gloves .I think we sort

of figured that out.

And then it was
kind of figuring out

where to go and then.

And then getting beached
a couple of times.

Yeah.

You don't want
to get beached.

No, no.

We sat out there at
point we thought, Oh,

we're good, we're good
and I got a new shotgun

and I was just trying
to clear it out a bit

and get it used to, in
my hands and whatnot.

And then we're looking
at the boat there and

Matt's like, Oh, we're
good, we're good.

And then, we
were beached.

Yeah.

The tide went out.

We came in at a pretty
high tide, hunting,

sitting there, I'm
like, ah, the boats

in a bit of mud, we'll
be able to get it out.

And then no.

It's like quicksand.

So what'd you do?

Well, we dragged that.

I think we dragged
it probably a hundred

yards across the mud.

Probably took us
an hour sinking in.

It's not mud,
it's quicksand.

One foot at a time.

We finally got it to some
water and like a little

slough, but it was like,
I dunno, six inches deep.

So then you're walking
down the slough out

towards the river,
gets a bit deeper,

Roy can't swim.

So he's like, ah, you
know, he's kind of

freaking out, you know,
I'm like get in the boat.

I'm going to
push you down.

I got in the boat
really quick.

Really quick.

Yeah.

I take it Greg
wasn't there to

help with the tides?

No, Greg, it was not
there at the time.

So he probably would have
been watching a lot more

careful than we were.

Had Greg been there
we would not have been

on that adventure.

No, we wouldn't.

No, he would have
made sure that we

were back in the boat.

You wouldn't have had
the stories though.

True.

That's a good point.

Yes.

We learned, so at
that point we learned

that, you know what?

Don't wait so long.

Another time we were
out there and our engine

failed, we had just
started, we were good.

Now we had learned to go
out at sunrise, right?

Like we're writing, we're
a little bit smarter now.

We're going to go early.

Now we've got a couple
of decoys right.

So now we progressed,
we've got a few

decoys now, so we're
going to go early.

So we're there, we're
ready, we're on the boat

and we're going out and
hald a call off fway

there, the motor dies.

It's dead.

We try, we try,
Matt's ticked off.

So we, we kind of
beached the boat

to the side and try
hunting from this area.

No luck, gave it a go.

Now I'm like, Matt we
got to go bud, my wife's

waiting, we got to go
to soccer practice or

something like that.

He's like,
okay, let's go.

So we've decided that
we're going to get

back to shore, but
we don't have oars.

What do we have Matt?

Oh, it was a
collapsible paddle.

A collapsible paddle.

It was, yes.

No lights, no oars.

So no oars, no lights.

We've got a collapsible
paddle, but you know,

we're giving it a go.

We're trying to get
back, it's not too far

and it's not working.

So we decided to take
a little of a shortcut.

So we have this
little canal we're

going to go through.

And of course, Matt
lets me sit in the

boat like a king, cause
I can't swim and he

is dragging the boat
through the marsh there

and the canal dries up.

So now we're not happy
cause we have zero ducks.

It's not been a pleasant
experience so far.

Thank goodness it's
not raining, but he's

like Roy, here's what
we're gonna do, buddy.

We're going to take the
boat and we're gonna

carry it over 15, 20
feet across this, this

piece of land here.

And we're back,
we're back in the.

Middle of the river.

We're we're good to go.

I thought, okay,
I can do that.

So I'm at the front and
he's pushing the boat

and I'm pulling the boat
and we're going over

some land here and it's
like a push, pull and

it's that quicksand and
a couple pulls in and

I say, Matt, come up
here and I could hear

it in his voice Kanda,
what's the problem?

I can hear him
saying, listen, you

weak Indo-Canadian
guy who can't swim.

What is your problem?

Why can't you just
pull the boat?

Let's go and I'll
come over buddy.

So he comes up and he
sees what I see and

we discover a body.

It is the craziest
thing I've ever

experienced in my life.

Here we are in the
marsh, pulling a boat

across the land and then
boom, there's a body.

So he looks at me,
he's like, Oh, okay.

You weren't, you
weren't kidding around,

this is serious.

This is serious.

So we both look at
each other and it's

kind of like, you know,
it's like, Whoa, this

is crazy, we better
call someone here.

So we made a couple
of phone calls to

our wives first, tell
them that we might

be a little bit late.

And then, we made
the call to the, or

do you make the call
to RCMP or did I?

I think you did.

You did, you made
the first call and

then you didn't know
where we were so.

Then I passed the
phone to him.

Passed the phone
to me, and then you

gotta describe where
you are and then

they're like, well,
there's no land there.

I'm like we're standing
on land, it's the marsh.

But yeah, that was,
that was interesting.

So then they,
they came on down.

But the best part is
when the RCMP came on

down, we could see land
from where we were and

the RCMP could see us,
but they couldn't get

across to where we were.

So Matt and I had to walk
the boat too the RCMP,

let them jump on the boat
and then drag them back.

There were three of them.

Yeah.

It was a pretty
big deal for them.

Yeah.

And then the tide
started to come in.

The tide started
coming and as the RCMP

and the coast guard
are going back and

forth about the body.

Right.

Matt and I flagged
down this, this young

buck, must've been
in his seventies.

Yeah.

So we flag him down.

He's got his boat coming.

He's he's a,
he's a hunter.

And we, we yelled and
we need to help, but

we got the RCMP here.

We got a body here, our
boats dead, we gotta be

towed back, so the best
part is he's trying to

unload his firearm as
his boat's spinning.

And he finally comes over
and he jumps on land.

He goes straight to the
RCMP officer and asks

what's going on and he
wants to go see the body.

They're like, fine,
go see the body,

don't touch it.

And we have this female
RCMP officer that's

interviewing us and
Matt and I are, are

serious and whatnot.

And grandpa just,
just, drops his waders.

Drops his waders then
he cause he needed

to relieve himself.

So the female.

All I'm saying.

Number one or number two?

Number one.

And I'm thinking,
I'm looking at Matt,

I'm looking at the
female RCMP officer

and grandpa's he has
to relieve himself and

he just turns around
and we just kind of

shrugged our shoulders.

We got to watch the
RCMP do a full search

and see how they
run, run protocol.

And, and then the
coolest thing was when

that, the coast guard
came in hey Matt?

The hovercraft, yeah
came in and had to

take the body away.

I mean, the tide
was coming in.

It was like, I dunno,
it was like six inches

deep there by the time.

They didn't realize
I'm like, okay, I think

we got about half an
hour here and like the

water's going to be up.

So like.

Right.

We got to, you gotta
figure out what you're

going to do here so.

They kind of panicked
and then they had to

call the coast guard in.

So that was quite
the scene too so.

No kidding.

Well, the best part
is we call Greg and

Greg's like the one
time I can't come, the

one time I can't come
you guys find the body,

what is going on here?

Cause he was all over it.

I'm sure you are watching
your video weren't you

checking out everything.

It was my wife's
birthday that day.

So I don't think it was
a wise move to go and

got the, got the text
message really it's

a serious, and then
watch the hovercraft

get tasked and.

That's a hell of a
new hunting adventure.

I don't think too
many people, new

hunters go out there
and happened to find

bodies, just floating,
not for a while.

It must've been
there for awhile.

It was there for a while.

And RCMP said that
it's most likely they

wouldn't have found it.

Right.

Unless someone had
got stuck there.

Cause no one would
ever go over that

little piece of land.

Well, we shouldn't
have been there.

I mean, the
motor broke down.

We're pulling the
boat, you know?

Down the river,
essentially.

You're, you were walking
like on the shore, I

was kind of pushing
it on the side and we

ju, we shouldn't have
been there, like nobody

would stop there.

So it's just crazy.

So.

Heck of a story though.

Yeah.

That's one of those
things they'll stick

with you for awhile.

Yeah, for sure.

People like don't believe
me when I tell them.

Like they're just
like, what, like

really that happened?

I'm like, yeah.

Well the best part
was that the RCMP and

the hovercraft left
us there as they, as

they went on their way.

And a grandpa was that
towing us back to shore.

I don't know if
he's doing donuts or

whatnot, but he left
us about a hundered

yards from shore.

He just dropped the rope.

Yeah, he just dropped the
rope and we're like ugh.

And so we just paddle
our way back in.

He was a seasoned
veteran that gentlemen,

at least he pulled us
most of the way so.

I think the best part
was when we were stranded

on the island there he's
like hey, Roy, can you

call my wife for me?

Cause she's expecting
me like, you know right

now and if I don't
come home, I think

she thinks I'm dead.

I'm like Oh, sure,
sure, you dial the

phone, I can't dial it.

I can't dial it,
you dial it and then

I'll talk to her.

Oh man.

Yeah it was interesting.

Oh he was a beaut.

Yeah.

Have you seen him since.

No, I think he
lived in Vancouver.

Okay.

And he, yeah, he was in
his seventies for sure.

Oh, we helped him,
we put his boat

back on this truck.

I don't know how he
got the boat off.

He had it in the
back of his truck.

So we had to put
it back into this

truck for him so.

This 70 year old guy just
lifted this thing out.

And I think he lives
somewhere, like deep

in Vancouver, like,
so he just came out

here to go hunting.

Oh he was a beaut.

He was, he
loved going out.

I think he said he's
been coming out here for

like 30, 40 years so.

Yeah.

Crazy.

So at this point in
your hunting career,

success rate, when
you're going out.

High, low, like how
far are we into it?

Pretty low.

That was what,
a year in maybe?

Oh, we were low success
rate of that time.

I think, I, yeah, I
think the odd duck

here and there.

When Greg came out,
when Greg started coming

out with us, we started
getting more duck.

That's why, that's right.

Cause he'd say, cause
when, whenever we didn't

go out with Greg, we'd
come back skunked.

Right.

And then when we
went out with Greg,

we'd have a few, so.

He's a lucky charm.

He was the lucky charm.

So if we ever went
out without him,

we get skunked.

Right.

I think it was the extra
decoys and everything

else that you purchased
between then and now.

Well, extra
decoys and oars.

Oars was a big one,
we picked up oars.

We've got our first,
we've got a full on

first aid kit and we
even threw in some,

what's it called?

Benadryl.

Okay.

Because we heard stories
of other hunters going

out, having allergic
reactions and you're

stuck out there.

Hmm.

Right.

So if you're having
an allergic reaction,

what are you gonna do?

So now in, in that
first aid kit we've,

we've put some Benadryl.

We've got, I get
migraines, so I

have Advil and
Tylenol in there.

Yeah.

Water.

Water yeah.

We got water in there.

We just got smarter.

We try to minimalize what
we have on the boat now.

Like I started off with a
really cool bag from Bass

Pro or wherever it was.

And it was like,
it was the coolest

thing bag ever.

But when I took it out
in the marsh, even though

it was a floating bag,
it was fully soaked.

Really?

So I bought a bag that
was maybe 60% less, but

it's a full on dry bag.

Everything goes in
one bag now, minimal.

Everything is minimal,
not fancy, just minimal.

And that's the
way to do it too.

Like any, any new hobby
you get into, it's

all accumulation of
knowledge, accumulation

of kit, everything else.

And at some point,
you start realizing

how little you
actually need to go

out and be successful.

What is your load outlook
like now compared to

when you first started?

We probably have
half the stuff.

I mean, we have some more
decoys now, but other

than that, I think it's
like the bare minimum.

I bring, like, I don't
know, we have water that

stays in the boat in
the toat in the boat.

I think I do a power
bar, ammo, second

pair of gloves and
that's probably

about it I'd say.

I'm the exact same,
ammo, a snack,

extra gloves always.

I learned that quick,
those extra gloves,

especially when it's
you try to retrieve

something in your
whole hand is wet.

That's why we bought
Greg some decoy gloves.

Poor guy who had freezing
hands the whole time.

But yeah, very minimal.

And that one pack,
we pack everything.

Each guy's got one
pack he brings.

We have the decoys,
the first aid

kit's in the boat.

I think that's it.

Greg, what else
do you bring?

No, I think that's
pretty much it.

We each have our
own dry bag, life

jacket, obviously and
gloves is the key.

I bring a VHF
radio usually.

I think we have one
on the boat now that

we, we leave as well.

But yeah, minimal.

You just want to have
everything with you, so

I don't wanna be carrying
around a lot of stuff, I

think is what we found.

And keep, keep
drying and warm, stay

out there longer.

Less stuff in
the boat too.

Yeah.

Especially when we're
coming on and off the

boat, we're actually.

We're, we're very
safety conscious.

Like I'm not getting
into the boat without

handing Matt or Greg,
my firearm first.

Right.

I'm just, why not give,
you know, it's the same

thing goes for all of us.

We just go very slowly,
take our time, do it

the right way, way.

And that's key,
it really is.

You only gotta make
a mistake once.

Yeah.

We we're, we're also,
we always like to drink

the three of us, but we
don't drink when we hunt.

Right.

That's just a rule
we have, we drink

when we golf, sure.

We drink at each's homes.

Sure.

We don't drink
when we hunt.

I think that's
a smart rule.

I know some people will.

Yeah, and to each
their own, but we will

have a drink after.

Sure.

Like we normally pull up
to my garage and we'll

go in my garage and
sit there and either be

happy that we harvested
some ducks or like,

Oh, we better get some
next time and we'll

enjoy it then for sure.

But there's too many
things that can go

wrong when you're
out in the marsh.

Especially for me
as a non-swimmer,

I did invest in an
automatic life vest.

Right.

One, it's slimmer, so
it's easier to maneuver

and two, anything
could happen there.

I've fallen a couple of
times out there or have

lost my step and that
sand can really grab you.

Yeah, it really can.

It can grab you quick.

And even in the Marsh
you're walking around.

There's all kinds
of dips there.

So if I'm going for
a little walk, my

own, I throw, I throw
my, my life vest on.

Right.

Yeah any time I'm
jumping on the boat

or off the boat, I've
got it on for sure.

I've got beside me
when I'm on the marsh.

We don't mess
around that way.

No, that's smart.

I think my first time
out with you guys, you

got out of the boat
and then I went to get

out and I was pulling
the boat up and took a

step too far and woosh!

And you're in.

And I'm in yeah.

It was probably up
to my, just under

my armpits I think.

You're going with
chest waders as well?

Yep.

Yeah.

I, originally it was
kind of, you know, as

they experienced and
upgrade their equipment

than I would, I would
take their hand me downs.

But I've obviously now
purchased my own stuff as

well, but I think I still
got the original wader

hand me downs that I
picked up off these guys.

And so yeah, you don't
realize, you know, you

really got to watch
your footing cause it

can happen quickly.

And of course, they're,
they've got their backs

to me as they're walking
to get set up and you

know, you're all of a
sudden in the water and

luckily the boat was
there and I was able

to grab it and kind of
embarrassed over that.

I think I did admit to
it, but lil embarrassed.

Well, you're out
there helping them

set up the decoys.

Yep.

You're helping in
the blind, or you're

helping set up
wherever you're going

to be at, be hunting
and the retrieval.

Yeah, I do the
retrieval well.

So I think that we're
kind of creatures

of habit all,
all three of us.

So we kind of go to the
same, the same spot and

we know where our set up.

We do a little bit
experimenting in other

areas, but we, we kind of
have our favorite spot.

So we'll get to the,
get to the place we

take our boat normally.

And the two of them
will jump off when

we've got land decoys
as well as the blind.

And then I'll go back
and start deploying

the water decoys.

And so they'll be
on the shore kind of

guiding where we, where
we want them to go.

And then once it's
set up, then I can

kind of bring the boat
around again and kind

of all sit back and
admire what we've done.

And if it's going to work
this time, or if it's not

going to work, you know,
I think we've changed the

setup quite a few times.

And you add, add the
robos here and there

and add more decoys,
but I think we've

got it pretty much
down now pretty good.

And, and then if, if
they're successful and

then they have one,
then I'll go jump in

the boat and I'll go
out and do the recovery.

And that way again,
they can kind of focus

just on watching what's
around and seeing

what's going on there.

They're obviously very
cautious of the fact

that I'm recovering.

Right.

In front, but once I get
it and I'm far enough

away, then if another
flock comes, they can

go back at it right.

And there's been times
where I just kind of

hunkered down in the boat
and then they're going

to get another one then
I don't have to go back.

But yeah, so we're pretty
successful in recovery.

So it's been good.

So are you
researching as well?

Are you looking
up like how to set

up the decoys and.

I think we have
kind of enough

conversations about it.

I've for sure
looked online.

I've looked on sign,
online on calling.

That was, that was going
to be my next question.

So I think we've
all done that.

He likes to duck
call for sure.

Yeah, I don't know if
my, Matts, for sure the

best duck caller we have.

If you've probably seen
me in rush hour traffic

on the way home from
work, I'll be sitting

in my car, practicing
my duck calling.

It's definitely
something that takes a

while to master and we
all, I think Kanda at

one point said, Greg,
you're scaring 'em

away, just stop, stop.

You're scaring 'em away.

So we all kind of have
our strengths and duck

calling right now is not
mine for sure I think

that's a that's Matts.

I think I've got
about seven or

eight duck calls.

Cause I blame it on
the duck call more

than the caller.

Just like golf
clubs, right?

Exactly.

It's the clubs,
it's the clubs.

The new bag I got.

Not shooting very well.

I find calling hard.

Like I'm like you look
at it online and these

guys make it look so
easy and this is how

I do it and this is
what you should do.

And I dunno, I, I guess
you gotta practice

a lot, but I just
I'm like, okay, when

do I call them in?

When do I don't.

Am I doing it right?

Am I scaring them away?

So I don't know,
it's difficult.

But I think there's a
couple cases where you've

actually called them
in, which is more than I

think me and Roy can say.

We're even sitting there,
we see them circling

over and then you do the
call and you definitely

see them make that turn
and then come towards

us, which, you know.

You know, what kind
of a day it's been

when Matt's calling,
if he's calling really

hard, we're pretty dry.

He wants those bad.

Yeah.

You know what?

The one thing we've
learned too, for sure

is, and I wasn't a
believer at first.

It's all about the blind.

I thought, no,
we're good.

We're good, they
can't see us.

Matt said they can see
us, they can see us.

I'm like who cares
that they see us

we're not moving.

I didn't think it was
that big of a deal,

but, the better we got
at it and the better

our blind was the more
successful we were.

Right.

It was, I was
like, really?

Is it that big of a deal?

Bud your going overkill
man, you've got this

coming in, you're
ordering from this place.

But no, it really
is a big deal.

The blind is a huge
part of everything.

That was a big
thing for us.

Big turning point
was them because

when we first went
out, we were just

like, kind of sitting
there in the reeds.

Like we, I don't know.

We sat there.

Mostly exposed.

We had two stools.

Two stools just
sitting there.

Sitting there.

Well at first we
didn't have a stool.

We're crouching down.

Yes.

So uncomfortable.

But then, then we got
stools and we got bags.

Yep, there you go.

We're progressive.

You had full on
stools, you don't

have the bird bucket.

Turned upside down, you
sit on it, turn it over

to the other way and
bring your birds out.

Oh.

Bird bucket.

We just have these little
collapsible stools that

just throw on the boat
and don't take up a

lot of room so yeah.

Every guy has got,
got his job when we

go out there, it's
very systematic.

You know, these guys are
driving, after we get

there they w, I jump off
to, to launch the robos.

Matt and Greg, have got
the other decoys going.

Once that's set up we, we
sit and we wait together

and it's very systematic.

And half the time we
don't even talk, I

just it's, it's so
serene out there.

Like for me, everybody
that knows me would

never have imagined that
I'd be a duck hunter.

Yeah.

No.

I love being out
with these guys.

It's it's brilliant,
it's the best time ever.

It's something new.

It's just it's I
can't explain it.

It's brilliant.

How would you
compare it to golf?

Ooh.

I know you're
quite into golf.

Yeah I'm a
hardcore golfer.

So last year, I'll put
it this way, it was

a duck hunting season
and I was going out

with the boys here and
my brother called me

he goes, I got a tee
time at Mayfair lakes.

And I love Mayfair, like
it's my course of play

and I said sorry bud
I'm hunting tomorrow,

it's hunting season.

So now it's either
hunting season or

it's golfing season.

There are they're
fully, even for me.

Really.

I have two seasons;
it's hunting season or

it's golfing season.

If I'm hunting,
golfing doesn't matter.

Are you a
competitive golfer?

No.

Just go out to
have a good time.

So I guess the next
question where I'm going

with that is hunting.

Is that a sort of
competitive thing with

you guys when you go
out, it's like, Oh no,

they're coming over,
Matt's going to get

it, better be mine.

Zero.

No, I don't think so.

If for us, sorry
Greg, go ahead.

Yeah, no, I don't
see that at all.

And you know, Roy's a
pretty competitive guy.

I don't think we play
around a golf where

there isn't money of
some sort involved in it.

But not with not
with hunting.

They, I mean, they have
their systems, they

have their stances.

They, they know, you
know, who's, who's

duck it is depending
on what side it's

coming from, but
there's no competitor.

I mean sure ,afterwards
it's nice to say, Oh,

I got three, I got two.

But there's no
competitiveness during

the actual hunting.

It's a team
effort for sure.

When we're out there
set up and then yeah.

If, if there's one duck
that's harvested, doesn't

matter who got it cause
we're going to split it.

Yeah.

Three ways.

Right.

So it's all about
like, if I'm having a

bad shooting day and
Matt brings down half

a dozen, well, I got
two coming my way for

dinner ,that's great.

Yeah.

No, it's all about
what comes to the boat.

It's never, I want
these guys to do well.

That is the best
way to do it.

It's a team.

It's how many can, so
Matt and I play a game.

So we have different
goals we want

to hit right?

So, okay, Roy has to do a
doubleheader, we got two

going, coming in, we've
got to go boom, boom.

Roy, let's see how many
we can take while our,

you know, we cut the
engine on the water

and take one down as
we're in the boat.

It's more of a team game.

Right.

How many can we
bring down together?

That's what
we're going for.

Nope.

It's worked out
well so far.

So we share, we share
the ducks and yeah.

And they're
always discussing

ways to improve.

I don't think we've
gone out on a trip.

We've come back and
said we were happy with

the way it was set up.

Or we were happy with
what I think we've

improved something
almost every, even if

it comes to the weights
on the decoys, right?

I mean, we kept on losing
the decoys because of

the river current and
all of a sudden they'd

be floating away and you
have to go chase someone

and we gotta buy bigger
weights now and then you

got a big, bigger blind.

And there's always
improvements I think

that, I don't know
if we're ever going

to be happy with,
with the setup.

Especially when there's
gear guys at the table.

Yeah.

Earlier Matt, you were
talking about something

with your, your decoys,
your floating decoys.

You have a different
system now that you're,

you're trying with them.

Yeah, I think the first
we had line and a J wait.

Yeah.

Right.

So you'd adjust.

Okay, I think it's
this deep here and

it's dark too right?

So, and then you put
'em down, tide comes up,

they sort of float away.

You gotta, you go
out and get 'em.

And they're just a pain
to kind of retrieve.

So I think it's called
a Texas rig, I think

is what it's called.

So it's got like a, a
certain length line.

I think we use like
a 10 foot line, it's

got like a mushroom
weight on there and

it's this kind of nylon
coated wire I think

is what it is right?

And then you just kind
of hook them on this

carabiner and then
you just kinda grab

them all at once so.

They don't
really tangle up.

Nope.

You just unhook the
carabiner or you

just toss them out
where you want them.

And then when we retrieve
them, you just hook the

carabiner on and you
just drag 'em all up and

pull them into the boat.

So that's,
that's been good.

I think it's
been way better.

Yeah.

Way quicker deploying
them and recovering.

And you can also deploy
it from shore, we've

done a couple of times.

Yeah.

You just throw them out.

The J waits is just
a, it was just hard.

It was a pain.

Big tangled mess.

Yeah tangled mess.

Exactly.

Yeah.

And then the current
they drag and then they

drift into each other
and it's just, yeah.

You're guessing exactly
how long you want

the line out and.

Yeah.

If you miss it then yeah
you're chasing decoys

all after all, all
morning as we're hunting.

Yeah.

Yes, not fun.

No.

I'll have to put a
link to that in the

podcast notes so the
listeners can check out

what that looks like.

Yeah and you can get like
a, I think it's popular

down in the States and
they're hunting on these

like shallow ponds so
you get like a three

foot or four foot ones
and 10 feet are pretty

long, but we kinda
need them here, but.

It all works well.

I like it so.

So you're a couple years
into it now, if you're

to turn around and try
and give some advice

to beginning you, what
would you guys say?

Safety.

Okay.

That's my first thing
right there, especially

for someone like me,
like what I did the

first time we went out
and going into the marsh

without a life vest.

That's, that's just dumb.

Yeah.

For anyone, not just, not
just me a non-swimmer.

I think for anyone,
because you could, we

could have fallen off
and gone deep there and

you're holding a box
of ammo and a firearm,

and you're trying to
protect this gun you

just bought that's
so expensive and you

don't want to go down.

Even with boat safety
for us, we weren't the

smartest when we started.

Thank God Gregg
came along, we got

lights and oars now.

For sure, for me,
one of the biggest

things is safety.

Even like, I love the way
we handle our firearms

when we're out there, I
love the way we pass our

firearms on the boat.

I love that we
don't drink.

Those are big
things for me.

Cause I've got two
daughters at home and

a wife and I got too
much to live for, to,

to be silly about it.

Yeah, I think if we could
have asked somebody some

advice or gone out, like
almost like a mentor,

you know, I think now
looking back, I probably

would ask these questions
to these people who are

experienced, you know.

Cause not that I'm super
experienced, but if

somebody who's new to
it came and asked me, I

would have no problem,
like telling them, I

might not tell them
where to go exactly.

But I'm going to tell
him what to do and

maybe what not to do
and how I got into it.

I think that would be
the biggest thing for

me is I would just
ask more questions on

what to do and yeah.

Try and go out with
somebody who knows

what they're doing
even once or twice so.

How do people find that?

I don't know.

I just think you've,
you just gotta be brave

enough to ask the guy
at the local store

or, I dunno, it might
be more intimidating

to just walk the bus,
somebody who's out at

the boat launch, but
it'd be, I don't know.

That's hard.

It would be nice if
there was some kind of

program or something
like, I don't know.

It's hard, but.

Yeah, I think it
definitely, I think that

if there was a facility
that would offer programs

for first time hunters.

It would do
extremely well.

I think any place that
say, Hey, we're looking

for first time hunters,
we want to take you out.

We'll show you the
do's and don'ts and

the etiquette and
different things.

I think that make
a huge difference.

I would sign up for
a course like that

in a heartbeat.

Yeah.

Oh yeah.

I think they'd have
to tread a pretty

careful line on that
because then the guide

Outfitters get involved
in are you guiding or

are you teaching or.

Yeah.

So it's, .I think that's
part of the reason why

we don't see too many
of those out there.

Even if you didn't
hunt, but they just sort

of show you like, you
know what you should,

and shouldn't do.

Even just showing you
that kind of thing.

Not, not just sitting
in the blind and

actually hunting for
the ducks, but just

some basic stuff.

Like how do
you set decoys?

How do you put them out?

Like, even if you're
not hunting from,

but just, this is how
you sort of do it.

Just an idea.

You know, you don't
have to give all your

tricks away to these
people, but some idea

would be good, you know?

This is kind of, this
is how ducks fly in, or

this is what they do.

You know what I mean?

Like the behaviors
and stuff like that.

And little things
like that would

be very helpful.

So, but I just, I don't
know where you get that.

You gain that knowledge,
I guess, but from.

Grandpa YouTube.

There you go.

And that's where
most people are

getting it from.

Yeah.

How bout you Greg?

We've had a lot of
discussions on Friday

nights over the odd
beverage, talking about

what we're going to
improve on or what we

can look up and try
to try to do better.

I think just, I mean, I'm
not actually doing the

hunting side of it, but
I think it's, if you, I

mean the safety for sure.

Well, you kind of are.

Everything other than
pulling the trigger.

Everything other than
pulling trigger for sure.

And I think it's
just taking your time

is the big thing.

You can't rush
into anything.

You gotta make sure you
got the right spot and

you got the right setup.

And, you know, if you're
not ready and they're

flying over, you gotta
just take your time.

And even, even when
they are coming in and

these guys sometimes
get a little anxious

and it's easy for me to
criticize because I'm

not the one with the
firearm or pulling the

trigger, but you know,
I'll sit back and watch

and see this come in.

And I'm like, okay,
they're, they're going to

land and all of a sudden,
boom, boom, boom, boom.

And they all fly over it.

It's like ugh, you
could have waited a

little longer, but I,
I get the anticipation

and the, you know
the want to take them

down right away right.

Right.

So I think w with just,
it's a, it's a sport

somewhat like fishing
where you just need

to have the patience
and you're not going

to be successful
every time you go out.

And I think that's part
of the attraction for me

is, you know, going out
and see how successful

we can be every time.

Totally.

If it was easy.

Absolutely.

There'd be no.

It wouldn't hold
that same appeal.

If that learning curve
wasn't there, if you

weren't always constantly
learning something new

every time you went out.

Yeah, for sure.

I agree.

I think this gives
a good sort of intro

for new people kind
of getting into it.

Yeah.

Few adventures,
few stories, but.

And definitely, you
know, starting at

the beginning, going
to the gun club

to get comfortable
with your firearm.

Yeah.

Was a big thing.

Was that intimidating?

Hundred percent.

Yeah.

From a guy who thinks
he's all tough and

yeah, it was very,
very intimidating.

Yeah.

Very intimidating just
being at the gun club.

Didn't want to do the
wrong thing right.

So being able to handle
your firearm, knowing

how to take your
firearm apart and put

it back together again,
also very important.

Yes.

Knowing how to clean
it, also very important.

Before you go
out hunting.

Knowing how to
do those things.

I think it's a big deal.

Yeah.

Being comfortable,
shooting your gun

was a big thing.

Like I think the first
time we went and did

trap and we didn't
know the etiquette,

I think we, I kind of
looked it up online.

We kind of went there, we
stood back for probably

a good half an hour,
kind of just watched

sort of what was going
on and be like, okay,

I think we got this.

And then, you know.

I asked a guy.

And you asked the.

I asked the.

Older gentleman there.

No I asked the younger
guy, the older guys

later I asked the
younger guy and this

young guy was great.

He's like, bud,
watch your muzzle.

Do this, only one in the
chamber, don't close it.

He was great.

Cause I was nervous.

I was like, Oh
my God, I'm so

nervous, so nervous.

so he was very helpful.

And then poor Mattie
over here got one stuck.

He was trying to get it
out, that's when the old

guy gave you a hard time.

Yeah, I was trying
to get it out, it

was stuck in there.

He's just, Hey,
just watch where

you're pointing your
gun or whatever.

And rightfully so like.

Sure.

I don't think it was
anything dangerous,

but he just said,
Hey, just watch, watch

your direction there.

And that was good.

It was good.

That was good,
called me out.

But he was, he was good.

He sort of explained,
you know, I'll be at the

start here and this is
how it's going to work.

We go down the line
of five and each

one takes one shot.

So after that, once we
got comfortable, it was

way better like that
for after that first

time, I felt way more
comfortable for sure.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

Did you have a lot of
people over your shoulder

trying to give advice?

Not really there.

There was a, a gentleman
who worked there, he's

like, I think you're
a little bit high,

those guns shoot high.

And I'm like,
okay, I don't know.

I didn't really pay
attention to them, but

when we were there,
nobody really tried to

give too much advice,
to be honest so.

Just watch your muzzle,
watch your muzzle.

Yeah.

Which is it
should do, but.

Absolutely.

Nobody really tried to
give us any advice on

what we were doing wrong.

I was holding my gun
in the wrong place,

like I learned that.

I had a huge bruise
on my shoulder.

I'm like, I was
way too low.

So I knew I wasn't
hitting anything,

but I mean, that was
learning experience.

I didn't do that
ever again so.

Right.

But the feeling
when you hit your

first clay target.

Oh yeah.

Oh magic.

Magic.

Almost as good as
when you harvest

your first duck.

Yeah, that was
pretty cool.

I love it.

Yeah.

Well guys, thank you
very much for being on

the, on the show and for
sharing your experiences.

That's definitely
encouraging for other

people out there to know
that it is intimidating.

Like I, I was raised
around firearms.

I've been going to the
ranges ever since I've

been a wee one and
I've got a little bit

different perspective,
but somebody just brand

new getting into it,
that's a lot to take in.

For sure.

Thanks very much guys.

It was a good time.

Thanks for having us.

Yeah, thanks for
having us for sure.

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