Hunts On Outfitting Podcast
Stories! As hunters and outdoors people that seems to be a common thing we all have lots of. Join your amateur guide and host on this channel Ken as he gets tales from guys and gals. Chasing that trophy buck for years to an entertaining morning on the duck pond, comedian ones, to interesting that's what you are going to hear. Also along with some general hunting discussions from time to time but making sure to leave political talks out of it. Don't take this too serious as we sure don't! If you enjoy this at all or find it fun to listen to, we really appreciate if you would subscribe and leave a review. Thanks for. checking us out! We are also on fb as Hunts on outfitting, and instagram. We are on YouTube as Hunts on outfitting podcast.
Hunts On Outfitting Podcast
When Your Wife Gets The Tags You've Been Waiting For
Dave MacKillop finds himself in an enviable yet challenging position after his wife Jen drew both elk and moose tags in Saskatchewan this season - a statistical anomaly that has hunters across the province both impressed and envious. With consecutive hunting seasons approaching rapidly, Dave shares his comprehensive preparation strategy for these high-stakes hunts.
The conversation dives deep into the realities of Saskatchewan's hunting system, where progressing through the pool status (from D to Super A) typically takes years for a single species tag. For Jen to draw both coveted either-sex tags simultaneously is practically unheard of, setting the stage for an extraordinary hunting season for the MacKillop family.
As an experienced moose hunter facing his first elk hunt, Dave details his meticulous approach to scouting, calling practice, and understanding animal movements. His elk bugling practice sessions have become a family joke, with his children heading outdoors whenever he reaches for the bugle call. Between strategic trail camera placement, mineral site preparation, and understanding wind patterns, Dave's comprehensive preparation showcases the level of dedication serious hunting requires.
The podcast reveals fascinating insights about wildlife behavior, habitat preferences, and the differences between hunting solo animals like moose versus herd animals like elk. Dave's trail cameras have already captured impressive footage of a six-by-six bull elk, providing valuable intelligence about movement patterns and potential ambush locations. Meanwhile, their Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 stands ready, a proven performer that Jen will use for both hunts.
Beyond the technical aspects, the conversation touches on something deeper - the multi-generational nature of hunting traditions and the challenges of introducing young people to hunting in today's digital world. With Dave's 12-year-old daughter also beginning to hunt this season, we witness a father thoughtfully balancing his role as husband, guide, and mentor during what promises to be their most memorable hunting season yet.
Subscribe to Hunts On Outfitting podcast for the follow-up episode where we'll hear directly from Jen about how these hunts unfolded and whether she managed to tag out on both these magnificent animals.
Check us out on Facebook and instagram Hunts On Outfitting, and also our YouTube page Hunts On Outfitting Podcast. Tell your hunting buddies about the podcast if you like it, Thanks!
this is hunts on outfitting podcast. I'm your host and rookie guide, ken marr. I love everything hunting, the outdoors and all things associated with it, from stories totos. You'll find it here. Welcome to the podcast, all right, hey, thanks for tuning in. Also, those of you who have left us ratings and reviews on Apple and Spotify, thanks for that. It helps get us out there a bit better.
Speaker 1:Also, canadians, do we have access to firearms? Well, yes and no. It's fleeting monthly, it seems. But we do have the Canadian Access to Firearms magazine that you guys can check out. They'll send it right to your door. It's cheap. It's got all the latest and greatest stuff in it. What's going on for gun shows new guns, optics it's all in there. Lots to check out. I'd highly recommend you know looking them up. Lots to check out. I'd highly recommend you know looking them up Also. So if you look at the profile picture on this week's podcast, you will see a smiling gal with a great buck she harvested. That's Jen McKillop, but it's not her voice you're going to hear in this episode. Jen was very lucky to get drawn for her Saskatchewan elk and moose tags this year. So after the hunt we'll be chatting with her to see how it went down. But this week we are talking to the guy behind the scenes to hopefully help her tag out on both species. He is the man with the plan to help his woman, her husband, dave McKillop. He's going to tell us about how he is prepping for his first elk hunt and also another moose season. There is a lot to do but as we get into it, I think these two are going to have a great season.
Speaker 1:Dave has been on the podcast before, episode 56. If you enjoyed listening to him on this one, you can check that one out. Also, for those of you who are regular listeners, thanks, and you probably noticed by now, a brand new podcast is up every Tuesday morning. Well, this one's going to be out early because Monday I am leaving for Alberta for a week to go with a friend of mine, chris, on a bighorn sheep hunt in the Rockies, which I will tell you guys all about upon my return. Also, if you're looking to get a hold of me, you can email me huntsonoutfitting at gmailcom or find me on Facebook or Instagram, ken Meier or Facebook Hunts on Outfitting.
Speaker 1:All right, let's talk to Dave. Yeah, so, dave, master Hunter McKillop, you know excited. I'm sure that's what your wife is hoping that you are, as soon as you are already a master hunter, because, uh, I'm excited to talk to you about the preseason hunt and then, uh, in scouting and all that. And then you know we're going to have a post season podcast. Um, because she got two tags this year that, uh, I mean, what are the odds of getting your elk and moose tag in the same year in Saskatchewan?
Speaker 3:Slim. Yeah, a lot of people mad and jealous that she got them. The same kind of system you guys have for moose, I guess, is lottery system, but the elk's odds are pretty slim but moose are kind of the same. With them, like there's not many moose tags but doesn't seem like as many people put in for them. So it's you kind of get better odds, getting those earlier, and super a is what it's called. So we, our system starts out b go, c, b a, then super a, and like when you hit super a your odds go up quite a bit. So for moose, I got I got moose kind of the same deal second year, third year, super a and uh, but I still haven't got an octag. So but we have a, a group of guys that I have on a group chat, I guess. So when it comes out here you usually get an email, but we have an app as well and on the app you can check your status, your pool status, and it'll kind of pop up there a few days earlier than you get your email.
Speaker 3:So our group chat popped up one night when I was at work and all the guys were asking if anybody got anything. I think one out of the I think the seven, eight guys in the chat, one of them. One of them got a moose tag. So I'm like, all right, I can help him out and I had nothing. So then later on I'm like, oh, I better get Jen to check see if she she got anything. So she sends me a screenshot of her status and it was just like the list of the animals and beside moose and elk it says D. And I'm like, well, she was super a when I put in this what's going on, or whatever. And so I I told her to click on moose and see what happens. And she clicked on it. She's like, oh, right on, I got my moose tag. I'm like, uh, click on elk and see what it says. So, yeah, she ended up drawing both.
Speaker 2:Um, I haven't had the chance to get it out yeah, very slim odds.
Speaker 3:Yeah, to get both, especially like second year super a for her. So she's, yeah, very slim odds. Yeah, to get both, especially like second year Super A for her. So she's, yeah, very slim odds. Should have bought a lottery ticket instead, maybe.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, yeah, that would have been cool too. Then you could do even more hunting. Yeah, exactly that's how that went. So what area of Saskatchewan are you in? You just moved.
Speaker 3:You don't have to give the exact zip code but uh, just a general area. I'm uh southeast saskatchewan, so like we're pretty close to the manitoba border where we're at and uh there's a good population of elk like we lived, kind of where we're planning to hunt. We lived out there for seven years so I got a good idea of the area and like the elk population for sure has gone up quite a bit since since we moved out here. Um, it's kind of you've seen the elk once in a while. It's a big deal, and now if you go for a drive out there in the evening, it's, it's nothing to see and they're quite a few elk they're wreaking a bit of havoc too on the farmers.
Speaker 1:I mean, in the wintertime, these farmers that are trying to do bale grazing and such, I mean you get, you know, hundreds of elk. It's, it's going to cause an issue yeah, that's kind of where I'm hunting.
Speaker 3:It's what he does. He bale grazes, uh, and he it's. Alfalfa is what he has, but basically as soon as the snow hits, he's got to have his cattle in there. He's losing a bale a night to elk. Yeah, that's a lot of money.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they've opened up more tags this year because of that. So the more claims they get, I kind of think they go off that, but checking their elk numbers and stuff. So this year I think it's 20 or 40 antlerless tags they released as well. So that ups your odds. That way If you want an elk tag, you can put in for the analyst tag and you have better opportunities than going for the either sex, which I think for our zone still only 20. But I think the more claims they get, the more numbers they get. That way they will uh, they will up the tags. But right.
Speaker 1:so ask your local farmer to complain, no matter what. So what did she get? Did she get either sex? And then you said the elk population is more than stable there, it's thriving, you might say.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's doing good. She did get either sex for both, so that's the other part of it that makes it more rare to get both of them, I guess. So she got the harder tag to sex for both, so that's the other part of it that makes it more rare to get both of them, I guess. Okay, yeah, so if you get the harder tag to get for both animals, but moose, they don't do the antlerless right now, just because our moose numbers have dropped a bit, but the uh, the elk have gone up quite a bit. So you would have good odds getting in it, uh, antlerless elk. But now where you're're?
Speaker 1:at where you're at hunting out there are the moose and elk competing for the same food, because I know here the deer and the moose uh, they're not in the same area generally, but out there, I mean, you're seeing pictures of moose and fields and stuff like that and that's. You know, obviously, where the elk are is. Is there a bit of competition there for food?
Speaker 3:um, I wouldn't say like a huge competition. You'll find them both in the same area, okay. Um, like we'll be hunting most likely the same quarter of land for for both animals okay yep, your, your elk and your moose will be relatively close.
Speaker 3:Um, the moose are definitely going to stick around our splews and stuff. I've seen them around a lot of water. We spotted one the other night in the middle of a canola field eating canola. They'll eat the same feed, but I wouldn't say competitive for land. Moose will be more content in a small chunk of bush. Here you'll see the elk. They like being in the bush in a small chunk of bush here. Then you'll see the elk like they like definitely being. Yeah, they like being in the bush, but like cause they're. I think the herd numbers is bigger, so they're going to be probably more clustered in a large chunk of bush compared to the moose.
Speaker 1:Right, just because they've got that. Yeah, the large numbers where the moose are more solo.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the moose will run solo, so they'll be scattered kind of all over the place where the elk will be clustered in certain areas. A lot along the valley, just more bush along the valley, but they'll be spread out anywhere. Usually it's just a matter of having that good chunk of bush to hide in. Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I mean, when you found out that she got both her tags, she was excited, and I'm sure you were too, and then you quickly realized that's a lot of work. That's a lot of work for two big animals, back-to-back hunting basically.
Speaker 3:So what are the seasons there? Yeah, I realized it before. She did 100%. So she knows she'll be pulling the trigger and then the work will happen. But she doesn't realize how much it is, so she's never been on a moose or all cunts, I guess, so it's gonna be all new to her. But uh, elk here actually starts september 15th. It goes for two weeks. Um, then we switch over to moose right after it starts october 1st and it's also two weeks. It goes to the 15th, and if we're not lucky enough to get an elk in that early season, there's also a late season for us okay, cool so she can go out again december 10th to the 19th.
Speaker 3:And then for moose there's another late season for them as well, and it goes nove November 1st to the 14th.
Speaker 1:So that's different. Do you know why they break it up like that?
Speaker 3:I honestly don't know why they break it up, so it'll be two different hunts obviously. Yeah, like deer season will be going through the middle Deer season ends December 2nd out here. So like elk season, the second round of elk season. I guess we'll go later than that, but it'll be two different seasons, like the first one's your rut for both of them. So it'll be the calling and pulling them in that way, which is more exciting hunt obviously, and then that late season. I could hunt the same spot because I know they hammer the farmer's bales so I've seen them in there every night on those bales. So it'll be more hunting over that.
Speaker 3:Um, the moose late season. It's going to be a basically spot in stock. It's looking around trying to find the moose and narrowing where they're at. But I think early season is definitely a better chance for moose. I think elk it's going to be all new to me, same thing. But I think elk, you're probably still a better chance in the rut if you're doing some calling and stuff. And then late season. I still think we have pretty good odds where we know where they. They winter for the winter on the on the bales.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I mean, are you going to be, uh, are you going to be, the new bugle boy in the area? Have you been practicing with that? I think we were talking the other day and I was saying how I was practicing, you know, for this, when we had the Springs turkey season with my turkey, call the diaphragm and I just go to in a room in the basement, shut the door and I can squawk away at. It's not too bad. Or, you know, I drive truck, do it in there, the, the elk scream or bugle. Uh, it's a little different, it can annoy people. Uh, slightly quicker, I think yeah, the elk bugle itself.
Speaker 3:I've been practicing with lots and I think I'm probably driving my neighbors crazy at this point with it, because it's not, yeah, elk bugle itself. I've been practicing with lots. I think I'm probably driving my neighbors crazy at this point with it, because it's not something you can just go in the basement and hide. Yeah, the kids see me grab it and they just kind of head outside. It's not as easy. It's not something you can just drive down the road and practice, either like a duck call or something like that, if you get a great big bugle in your mouth.
Speaker 3:But yeah, I've been practicing with it and I'm getting better. So it's, I don't know. It'll be a learning experience for me. So I'm kind of taking advantage of her getting her tag first, cause I should be coming up here in the next couple of years, cause you go to a legacy pool after 10 years, super a okay and it's pretty much a guaranteed tag. So I know within the next two years I should have a good shot at getting my elk license. So I'm kind of taking advantage of her getting hers now and practice, practicing up and learning how to call and watching lots of videos on it.
Speaker 2:So I think we'll be ready.
Speaker 1:Is it kind of weird? Because I mean, like I said, with the turkey stuff you're squawking, but with the elk you're really taking in a breath and just just screaming it. I mean it's it's amazing to hear I've been fortunate enough to hear it in person and it just gives you goosebumps like man.
Speaker 3:That is cool yeah, like, out here there's lots of actually elk farms too. So we had an elk farm right down the road from our place and if you went down there during the rut it was wild to listen to them. But I've seen them in the wild too doing it and there's definitely an art to it. I can play with this call and, like it, make different noises, and it's I. Just the hard part for me learning is like what call to use when, with elk, like it's not like moose, where you're you're hammering a cow call non-stop, that's what you're going with is to do the odd grunt for a bull, but like, yeah, this one here you kind of locate and then you're you're trying to play with them to see what they're interested in more cow or bull, and back and forth. So, yeah, it's a lot of learning to go with his elk. So I'm going to going to keep practicing and hopefully I'm ready here by the 15th anyway, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, you know. Just uh, Sam or Dan, bring it into work, have it in the lunchroom, You'll get the place to yourself.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly, clear the place out.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So your wife Jen, what I mean? She's got her moose tag, she's got her elk tag. What's her hunting experience thus far?
Speaker 3:So she started. She did start hunting in New Brunswick with me, but mostly up Lambert she sat with me deer hunting. So when we moved out here, um, the opportunity for deer hunting is crazy. So I was getting her more into deer hunting and, uh, she shot two deer out here. So far she's she's done a bit more hunting and stuff. She's gone out on her own a bit and she's definitely into it. So she's she's really more pumped for the elk, I think, just because I think it's something I haven't even get to shoot. So she's trying to make me jealous, but she can shoot a gun, she's good. So we're going to get to the range here a few times here in the next couple of weeks too and make sure she's fine tuned. But yeah, every time she had a crack at a deer she hasn't had a problem shooting them. So elk and moose are bigger but definitely more adrenaline. So hopefully she can pull it off and we can get lucky anyway, yeah, well, I mean.
Speaker 1:So Jen is a smaller gal, moose and elk are large animals. So what is she using for a rifle? Because you want something with enough kick to hit them, good, but she doesn't want to, you know, hit herself right back, kind of thing.
Speaker 3:Yes, um, she's had no issue shooting my uh 30 odd six. So I have a 30 odd six uh Winchester model 70. Yep, and she shot both her deer with that. No issue, she shot the gun enough, so I think no issue. She shot the gun enough, so I think she'll be comfortable with it.
Speaker 1:Um, the big change will be bumping it up to like a 180 grain.
Speaker 3:So I'll get her to the range and I'll I'll be shooting some more 180 grain with her and making sure she's comfortable with that before, uh, before we hit the season. Yeah, um, I think she'll have no issue with it. I think 180 grain she was shooting 165, I think was what she shot her deer with. So the bump up really shouldn't have much more kick or anything. No, not too bad, no, I think. Just it's a matter of figuring out yardages and what not, because it's going to have a little more drop to it. But I'm thinking when we're hunting she shouldn't be shooting too crazy far. So it should be all right to work with yep and uh, yeah, she's definitely comfortable with the gun, so I want to kind of stick with that one.
Speaker 2:Yeah and not change things up too much with her perfect caliber too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, species yeah, yeah, I've shot a couple moose with that gun, like it's bumped up the same thing to 180 grain. I was using the Winchester Ballistic Silver Tips 180 grain and it shoots those bullets nice. And I've shot a couple moose with it and, yeah, I have no issue taking a moose down. Yeah, oh, yeah, it should be good set up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, no, I was curious. Yeah, that's, that's a good site. That's, yeah, that's lots of gun, great caliber for that. So I mean, you've got these two big animals that you're hunting. One of them you don't really have any experience with it.
Speaker 3:Um, the kind of nice part of where we're hunting is I can hit it from east or west, so it'll basically depend on the wind. Especially with elk, I think the wind's going to be a huge factor. So I think if we're hitting it basically the day of, we'll see which way the wind's going to be hitting a lot of times out here prominent winds or west wind. So we'll hit it from the east side. We'll walk in, do a location, call for for elk and see if we can start locating some bulls and work from there. Um same thing. I guess, if you're getting your east wind that day, we can attack from the west side. We can come in, do the calling.
Speaker 3:Um, we do have a few backup spots not as easy to attack from either side, so they'll be a little bit tougher. So, depending on how we make it there the first couple days, if we're not locating any elk, um we'll be moving, I guess. But it'll be based off weather on those spots. So so like one spot a little easier to attack from the west wind, the other spot's a little easier to attack from the east wind and then one's more of a north wind I guess. So it's honestly going to depend a lot on the weather for us, on how we're going to hit our spots.
Speaker 3:But we have our main spot. We can kind of hit any day of the week, just depending on the wind. So we'll we'll be basically looking at the weather and going from there but, um, hoping, thinking we're we're going to be good where we're going, but I I have a hard time leaving spots because I know like one day to the next can change so much and uh, so sticking it out there is kind of our, our plan right now. But we do have a couple other spots we can, we can go and we can try. Um, they're more of a spot that I'll kind of move through. So it's, it's another deal.
Speaker 1:That day of you might not catch anything, but if you get there the right day you could definitely get lucky and catch them in there at the right time well, yeah, and it's good that you've got you seem to have the winds dialed in, because I mean, the thing with the elk herds is that it's a herd, it's like hunting geese. You know you've got a decoy spread. You're not trying to fool one set of eyes, you're trying to fool a whole bunch with the elk. You know you've got all these extra eyes, all these extra noses, all these extra ears.
Speaker 3:It's not like moose, where it's just, uh, you know a solo animal you've got, you know, a herd that you're competing against to try to sneak in there yeah, if you're definitely going for a herd bull and you're going to have, you know, a bunch of cows and calves in there at the same time, it's going to be a challenge to get them close enough for a shot and make that shot. But for the, for the uh, the odd satellite bowl and stuff, you might get lucky. Pulling in it might be a little bit easier, but it's all how picky she's going to be at the end of the day. For me. But yeah, I think I think the first decent bowl she sees is definitely going to be on the radar. But we'll see what happens.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean you did have that nice one on trail camera that you'd sent me a picture of, and I mean that bowl. You put the camera in the perfect spot. Was that a good active game trail, could you tell, because you just got great pictures of this big? Was it a six by six?
Speaker 3:yeah, he's a six by six, real good fronts on him. He uh. I set that camera up because the farm farmer I'm hunting on mentioned that there was a big bull moose down there. So my plan there was to set up more so for the bull moose. So it was a, it was a good game trail and it's been along a big, uh big beaver dam in there, lots of water, so it is really good moose habitat.
Speaker 3:But I know the elk are in there too, like I have another camera probably 500 yards away from that one where I get lots of elk on it and uh, so I set that one up. It's more in the bush, but it's kind of a trail that was cut down through to this uh beaver dam and uh, so I set it up, thinking I was most likely going to get a moose on it or a couple moose on it, hopefully. But I ended up getting him the day after I set the camera up. So, yeah, he's, uh, he would definitely be a target bull, but yeah, I have other ones on camera now that uh, she's even thinking about that are quite a bit smaller than him. So so I don't think it's going to take much, but I'd like to like to challenge her a bit and see if we can get her a good size bull.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, does this put a damper on your if she takes out in both? I mean you guys got a lot of, a lot of butcher, a lot of meat to deal with. Do you still plan on deer hunting?
Speaker 3:So that's. It's put a huge damper on my deer hunting. For sure, I've become a full-time guide this year because my daughter's turned 12 and out here you can hunt at 12.
Speaker 1:And he's in there now too, right Now you can do Brunson cat. They just changed it recently.
Speaker 3:Right, so yeah. So my daughter, she turned 12. She's doing up her hunter safety now and she'll be able to hunt in october because she'll be hunting with crossbow, so a little bit earlier than rifle and uh. So yeah, it's kind of concentrating on getting a bull, elk and a moose and I'll be diving right after those two seasons right into crossbow with her. Um, I have a couple weeks to start September here that I can bow hunt myself, so I'll probably take advantage of those. But I'm not thinking we're going to need the meat Hopefully not. So yeah, if we fill our freezers up that quick, it'll take a big buck for me to pull the trigger, I think at this point.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, that is the land to do it in Saskatchewan. I think that's great. So we've talked on this podcast before about how you know crossbows. I mean it's got a trigger, it's got a scope on it, it's cheating. You know, you can't call yourself a man if you're perfectly, if you have an injury or something, it's different. But if you're perfectly healthy, capable to pull back a compound or traditional, do that. But this is where I do agree with crossbows is say, like your daughter, she's 12 crossbow. That's great, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she can't pull back the legal weight. Exactly that's perfect.
Speaker 3:Yep, and I'm the same boat. Like, I prefer my bow and I want to get her to that point. So I'm going to let her start. I want to get her into hunting, I want her excited about hunting. So this is kind of the way to do it and, uh, I want her to enjoy it, be comfortable doing it, not be shaky on the bow. So we'll start out with a crossbow and when she's comfortable with a bow that can pull back your 45 pounds and shoot a deer, then she'll be switching over to that 100%.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I think that's great At her age to have crossbow, that's the perfect weapon. Or, you know, if you're older or have a bad shoulder injury or what have you, but other than that, you know, put in the people like, oh, I don't have time to practice, or something like well then you shouldn't get to bow hunt.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I mean, if she gets her, the perfect part for her is once you can shoot with a bow, like you can start september 1st. So yeah, yeah, she'll get a month and a half more hunting in decent weather where she's not freezing. So it's, you hit october 15th. It's going to cool off quite a bit, which the hunting to me that's my favorite two weeks anyway with my bow is that last two weeks of oct. So she's not missing out on a whole lot, but you get a good deer on camera and something you want to shoot. It's September 1st. Well, bow is the way to do it. So she'll get there eventually. But right now she's going to have to start with crossbow and wait until the 15th.
Speaker 1:So it's muzzleloader and crossbow kind of kicking on the 15th for two weeks okay yeah, so they're kind of the same boat, so we'll we'll let her start with the crossbow, see how she does the back yeah, yeah, no, I think that's great, um, you know, so they changed the age here to 12, which is good for the kids. But I find it's kind of scary in a way, because the fact that they changed it to that number, I think, is kind of a sign that there's not enough youth interested in hunting. So they're lowering the age to like hey, you know, let's get them started even earlier. And I find it's like that way with hunting in general. It's like is it? Well? It's hard to tell, is it dying or is it not?
Speaker 3:I think they got to do get more creative with ways to get young hunters into hunting. Yeah, I know, when I first moved here, um, our draw system, so, like I said, it started out dcba, super a. Yeah, so the draw system when I first came here, the way they had it set up, is you started out in a because they wanted to get young hunters into it. So that was kind of their purpose of switching to A and I kind of benefited from it, I guess, because I started out in A. I wasn't a young hunter but it was the first time I put in. So I started in A, went to Super A right away and I had my Moosey license within four years of being here, which is great, but for me it didn didn't. I'm not saying it didn't matter, but it would have been more beneficial.
Speaker 3:Yes to a young hunter. So if you're 12 years old, four years in, 16 years old, you're getting a moose tag. It's pretty exciting for a 16 year old to go after a moose well, you think that'd get you hooked for life.
Speaker 1:Really, yeah, something 100 percent.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, and I like I ran into a young guy at cabela's one time and yeah, he wouldn't have been much more 16, 17, got his first moose tag and was pumped to go out and like I think it is a, it's a way to get the younger crowd into it. I think we got to get a little more creative than that to try and get them out hunting. Um, we have some local archery clubs as well here that that do like a youth night, so they're getting more and more kids into that. So hopefully I can talk my kids into joining I think hannah will definitely not now that she's hunting and and, uh, it's a good way to to bring them into it. Um, stuff like that with gun clubs maybe start introducing to a younger crowd would help. But the hunting aspect itself it's it's hard, the hard one to sell on everybody because not everybody hunts right. So, yeah, try and get kids into it. It's a tough one when the parents aren't into it.
Speaker 1:So well, I think part of it too is, uh, social media has made us like this. You've got your tiktok and your short little reels on youtube or facebook and all that and everything's just so quick and it's. It's right there. Quick, see one thing, boom onto the next thing, onto the next thing, and hunting it's a little more, um, patience, it's not everything happening so quick and it's just uh.
Speaker 3:You've got to kind of rewire some people's brains to to get them into that yeah, you can go off youtube so much, but really you got to get up there and learn it right. So it's it's exposing them to do it and exposing them to you. Know your your claws to it and exposing them to you. Know your your claws to it and your wins, like it's not. It's not that easy to go out and shoot a big animal. Like it's. You got to put some work in and learn the process of it.
Speaker 1:I think waterfowl is a good entry. Entry for it because it's a lot more uh, for the most part action packed.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, it's like fishing for kids like, yeah, if you're taking them out and they're catching fish, they're having fun, but if you're taking them out looking for a fish that you're not catching every cast, then they kind of dies off for them, right.
Speaker 1:so yeah, I'm still like that. I like catching yeah exactly I'll admit it but yeah, yeah, that's why I like small game hunting more you're gonna find them right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's, that's the other thing. Like I'll take her down pheasant hunting, hopefully this year at some point. I think she'll enjoy that. Like it's more action there. You're moving, you're, you're up and you're going, so you got the dogs.
Speaker 3:I know too which makes it yeah, she'll get to see the dogs. Yeah, it's definitely. It's definitely to me like something that's more stimulating if you're if you're looking for the excitement part um, deer, it's going to be exciting when the deer walks out that you're looking for, or a big deer walks out or whatever like she's been with me enough in the blind and stuff that she's seen lots of deer so she's been there and got past the excitement part. But it'll be different, definitely when she's on the trigger and something comes out that you want to shoot. So hopefully she likes it and we can keep her in it. But time will tell, I guess.
Speaker 1:If not, you'll just have to tell her she's adopted. But but even leading up to the hunt, I find it so much fun. I mean, like I was talking about your the elk and the moose hunt, I mean I find, and like we were talking before the podcast, even moving the trail cameras around trying to figure out where are they bedding, where is their consistent food source, that they're going to setting up blinds, cutting branches, you know for here, for me, for deer season, putting the food plot in, I mean all that leading up to it I find it's more fun than the hunt, sometimes even just the preparation.
Speaker 3:Yeah, nothing's more exciting to me than a camera day, when you're going out and checking cameras and come back and get to see what's on them, or like the cell camera, like you said, if you get that alert in the middle of the night kind of wakes you up. You're checking in the middle of the night. Well, my wife.
Speaker 1:She's like why don't you just set that to airplane mode? I'm like, and miss the deer. No way, no, I'll just. I'll sleep lightly and I hear this. I'm like it's okay's okay. She's like go to sleep.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I got to check it. Yeah, I got to check it, yeah, yeah, and it gets worse and worse the nicer deer you get on camera, right?
Speaker 3:So you just want to see where they're at.
Speaker 1:Or you get worked up. It was like last night. I was like oh, the fucking coyotes right In the old food plot there.
Speaker 3:But you know, yeah, then you're pissed off and you can't sleep right Punching pillows.
Speaker 3:But yeah, no, I like the figuring out the land is a big thing for me, like I was telling you earlier, like I've hunted some of these pieces for seven years out here and like I'm still learning, I'm still moving cameras, I'm still trying to figure out patterns and where they're going and where they're coming from it, and it can change year to year here, especially like, um, like I'm hunting one creek bed that's between an organic farm and conventional on one side and it kind of depends on what crop they have on one side that the deer will be traveling either side of that creek.
Speaker 3:So it's it can change year to year. It kind of depends on what feed is on either side of them. Um, I got another couple that they're more cattle land and same thing with those. Like, depending on what crops are around, they get better or worse. This time of year my cameras are going to start heating up with different deer because we're in harvest out here, so as the crops come off they're, they're moving around a little more. So there's a lot of strategy, a lot of learning, a lot of figuring it out.
Speaker 2:Um, as far, as early season really yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:And, like you know, depending on what you're hunting here, if you're, if you don't hunt bow and you're not hunting early season, um, you could have 20 does on camera, 30 does on camera. That's probably the best case scenario for you because once the end of october hits and those bucks start looking for their does, you're going to start getting more and more bucks on camera non-stop. So it's I don't know, there's a strategy to it and there's a lot of thinking. You can overthink it sometimes and that's the hard part moving, moving cameras, moving setups when you're unsure and, uh, you can kind of think it's the wrong move at the end of the day and it could be the wrong move, but it could be the right move and it's benefited me sometimes. So it's hard not to. You don't have so many cameras out there, I guess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I mean, the strategy can sometimes turn into self-madness really, but that's all part of the fun. Yeah, you can overthink everything, but that's all part of the fun.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you can overthink everything. That's the hard part.
Speaker 1:It's a cat and mouse game, though that can be fun. If you're after a particular animal moving the cameras around here Is he there, and then you get him on camera. Okay, I got him. Got him there.
Speaker 3:So, now where. If you're getting him on at night, then camera like okay, I got them, got them there, yeah, so now where? And then you're trying to figure out. Yeah, if you're getting them on at night, then you're like, okay, how am I going to get daylight? So then you're trying to pick a way he's coming and you're moving further and further away. Yeah, and it's for me like I hunt a lot of stands, I'll hunt blinds in certain spots, depending on where I'm at, but like I like both, but I kind of like my stands a little more. I can just see and hear everything better and yeah, kind of the way I like it. And, um, so it's the strategy for me is trying to learn the land, I guess. So certain pieces out here I can't use cameras. I was telling you that earlier. I guess, like I've hunted that land. Yeah, so he's not a big camera guy, which is fine foil hat kind of no, like it's, it's just and he's.
Speaker 3:He says fair chase, he believes in fair chase, which is fine, and so it's kind of his, the way of his thinking it's, and I'm good with that because it limits how many people really want to hunt there. Some guys don't really want to hunt where they can't have a camera.
Speaker 1:No, I respect the fair chasing and seeing that I didn't know if he was like I don't want those alien machines on my tools or something.
Speaker 3:But okay, no, that's fine yeah that's a good reason.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I'm good with that. And I I've hunted it for years, like basically since I've been here. But I was telling you like, yeah, it's more, you got to be there and figure it out. So that's, that's the trick to that land. I've hunted it years where I've had nothing but does all boasts and you're like, okay, where are the bucks? Like this doesn't make sense. And then move around.
Speaker 3:He's got a cluster of quarters of land. There's a good chunk of land, probably three or four quarters of land there, like 108 acres apiece. Yeah, so you kind of move around and like, so the last couple years I've been on one it's uh, alfalfa, and we've had good rain the past couple of years. So he gives it one cut and bales it and then it'll come up pretty good. So the deer want to hit that. So I was hunting the edge of that last year and two years ago I guess, and seeing a really good buck, and wanted nothing to do with where I was at and who's heading the other way. So I moved everything over to where he kind of came out in the field.
Speaker 3:So like you can bait all you want, but when you have nice fresh alfalfa, that's what they're going for anyway yeah and so I moved everything over there this past year and like yeah, we've had nights out there sitting seeing seven, seven bucks a night. But like multiple deer, lots of different bucks, and like I wasn't seeing any does, I found kind of where where the bucks were hanging out and hopefully it sticks that way. But like over the years I've been seeing like lots of does, I've shot nice deer there. But like later in the year when they're more seeking their does and stuff, but it's uh, there's a game to it and like you got to learn it, learn the land and keep playing it like move around. It's the hard thing to move, sometimes when you think you're making the wrong decision.
Speaker 1:But yeah, it is, and and too. I want to get someone on the podcast. Uh, find somebody sometime we'll talk about. You know, everyone thinks the wins, the wins, the wins and I always did too. But they're saying, I mean, big bucks live and die by thermals, that's what they play, that's what they, that's what they use, you know, to keep to survive. So it's, it's it. Yeah, there's a lot, there's a lot to it. That's what makes it so much fun. But I mean it's awesome being in such a game rich environment that you're in saskatchewan, where I mean you like you're saying you set up that trail camera for moose and here comes this big six by six bull elk.
Speaker 3:You know, yeah, it's awesome like on that one piece of land itself, I get really nice deer, really nice moose, really nice moose, really nice elk. It's crazy, but when you're getting into that you are definitely getting less deer, like when you're in elk territory, like the elk. Like where I'm getting best deer on camera is north-south, where there's like not as many elk or moose or anything like that, and so they definitely don't hang out together as much, but like you'll have everything there. So like I had like my last camera check out where I'm at, I've had moose, elk, deer and bear on the same camera.
Speaker 1:wow, yeah you're getting a variety of everything for sure makes it fun checking. I mean, so yeah, to a lot of people around here for moose season to get the pictures and all that on the camera. They're putting out a salt block or something like that mineral block and that's where they're getting the moose. Do you try that strategy out there with the deer, or sorry, with the moose and the elk out there?
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh, like early season for sure. Like, if I'm putting cameras out early, I'll put them out here. Maybe even before June I'll put mineral, for sure. I've had a lot of luck with mineral.
Speaker 2:What are you?
Speaker 1:using? Are you using cattle stuff?
Speaker 3:I use kind of both, it depends. I've used the I don't even know what you call it red salt block, I guess.
Speaker 1:Yep, the Redmond's Reacher's Choice, redmond's.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 3:I've used those here and I've had like moose and elk, both like those okay um, and then it used to be called code blue. It's a rack stacker, the blue mineral, and uh, I've used that for deer here for years and it's more, you pour us like an old rotten stump. Yep, and uh, I've had a lot of luck with that for deer. Um, not just deer, I guess. If it moves around they'll, they'll be at it as well, but like it's, it's been a good mineral to use here.
Speaker 1:Shout out to rack stacker, I guess yeah, rack stacker, here you go.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's uh, but I've used that. I've used that like I don't know. I tried a few minerals. I used that before when I was out east and I've had a lot of luck with here for that. So you gotta find the right spot. Like it definitely works better on a uh on an old stump. Yes, like I've had out here, I've used it on an old stump and, like you, come back the next year to set up a camera and like they've already hit it in the spring a year later and they basically dug the whole stump out of the ground.
Speaker 1:Like it's pretty crazy I had that with deer. Um, I put a salt block out last year. I just had an extra one from the cattle and I put it up my food plot and you know they were liking it, using it and then, uh, it was dissolved over winter and everything. And then this spring, looking for it, they dug up the dirt all around there and everything yeah, I've had that happen a few times out here.
Speaker 3:Same thing like I dug a huge hole like the stump's gone. I guess if you have any stump in your yard you want to get rid of, just throw some of that on it. But yeah, yeah, it's. Uh. No, I I don't know what it is with the stump. I don says right on it to pour it on a stump, which is fine. They go at it pretty hard over the year. They hit it earlier than I thought they would. I thought it was more like during antler growth and stuff like that I know does will even hit it when they have their fawns and stuff. They'll dig the stump right out of the ground.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a bunch of deer running around with splinters in their tongue, like that's really good. But, yeah, yeah, you think they would get them. Maybe they do, I don't know, and they just push through it.
Speaker 3:But oh, I can't be it See it being a real lost meat in a stump or the ground.
Speaker 1:No, no, yeah. Well, I mean it sounds like you've got a good handle on things and that it could shape up to be a really good season with the elk and the moose. I wish you guys all the best, and then I'll be interested to hear how that goes. And then if you end up doing much deer hunting, but for the post-podcast, definitely going to have to have your wife jen on with you. Uh, after the season, win, lose or draw I want to hear about it from both of you yeah, 100.
Speaker 3:I'll get her talking there for you, so I mentioned it to her already, since she's a bit nervous more about it, but she may not want to shoot anything now.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, no, don't let that stop her um yeah, I uh.
Speaker 1:No, I'm excited to uh. Like I said, after you know we did the moose one the other week there about the pre hunt, I'm excited to hear about the post hunt on that, and then with you guys too, out there in saskatchewan, I mean this this is really cool. You're hunting two big game animals like that, one of them of which you have no experience and you know, your wife having never shot either one, so pretty cool yeah, yeah, no, it'll be exciting, it'll be exciting for her and, uh, for me, the experience of elk, definitely, like moose, will be fun too.
Speaker 3:Like I mean, no way you want to pass up a moose season. Yeah, yeah, it'll be. It'll be interesting looking forward to a couple weeks from now, I guess, guess when we get started.
Speaker 1:You're going to get her an early present, an Outdoor Edge knife setter, something like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'll see, get them sharp.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we'll get practicing on cutting the elk. Yeah, that's the thing.
Speaker 1:She's going to get her hands dirty with the last two deer so we'll see how it goes Well with the moose and elk, you're literally, I remember, gutting our moose. I was up to my chin basically yeah, Yep, getting guts out and all that. So, yeah, you definitely got to dig in. Yeah, yeah, that's right.
Speaker 3:It's nice and warm in there. Yeah, that that's the trick. She probably won't be thinking of it, but where she shoots this animal and where it could die could change a lot of things.
Speaker 2:We'll see how it goes, hopefully everything works out.
Speaker 1:I wish you guys the best of luck with it.
Speaker 3:Thanks, hopefully everything works out.
Speaker 1:We'll be talking again soon. Dave, sounds good Ken.