#41 - Jared Thomas

Jared Thomas is a firefighter and passionate hunter. Jared shares his background, memorable hunting experiences, and the importance of mental and physical preparation for hunting. Jared shares insights on spring bear hunting, the challenges of archery, and encounters with wildlife. He emphasizes the significance of fitness in hunting success and offers valuable advice for new hunters. The conversation also touches on the spiritual aspects of hunting and the importance of maintaining a positive mindset.

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Transcript

Ryan Uffens (00:20)
hey guys, welcome to yet another episode of the Hunt Stealth podcast. Today we're able to sit down and talk with Jared Thomas. You can follow him on the IG at Peaked Out Adventures. Jared's all about faith, family, fitness and the outdoors and excited to have him here today. Jared, thanks for joining me.

Jared Thomas (00:40)
Hey, thanks for having me on, Ryan. I appreciate it.

Ryan Uffens (00:43)
I appreciate you accommodating my schedule today. Had a couple little hiccups and we're jumping in this a little bit later, but I appreciate you being willing to work with me.

Jared Thomas (00:54)
it's all good. I think we had to move this a couple times. Just my schedule, your schedule is all good.

Ryan Uffens (00:57)
Hahaha

Well,

Jared, tell the folks a little bit about yourself. I mean, obviously, you're a hunter, faith, family, fitness is a big part of what you do. You're also a firefighter. I say that like it's like no big deal. thanks for thanks for taking care of us and make sure everybody's looked out for. But why you share with folks a little bit about your background?

Jared Thomas (01:17)
You

Yeah, man, I grew up in Eugene Springfield area in Oregon for about 26 years that I lived there until I moved here to Utah Moved out here because I got hired with a fire department out here and been here ever since What was that? was nine years ago now So been full-time firefighter for nine years Currently a paramedic engineer so I get to drive the big red truck. It's pretty fun

But yeah, I mean, going through medic school in Oregon, I was doing a lot of personal training and stuff. So I still do that on the side. And for as long as I can remember, my dad packed around a camera and I started packing around a camera, filming stuff. So that's another big passion in my life. But yeah, got three wild, crazy children, twin boys that are three, and then my daughter Lakeland at seven. And then, yeah, my beautiful wife, Alyssa.

Ryan Uffens (02:22)
You're in the thick

of it right now,

Jared Thomas (02:24)
man, yeah. So, the couple times we rescheduled it was kind of like, okay, that's fine.

Ryan Uffens (02:32)
I hear you, I hear you. Well, so tell me, did you grow up hunting then in Oregon? What was your first memory of hunting back as a kid?

Jared Thomas (02:39)
I did. Yeah, so pretty much fault.

So some of my first memories, honestly, were following my dad around the archery range. I don't know if still in diapers, because I remember that far. But I grew up around Wayne Etiquette and Cam Haines. I worked at the bow rack there in Springfield, Oregon for a handful of years up through high school and a little bit of college and stuff. But yeah, for as long as I can remember, we were packing bows around and hunting. And then I think when I was like nine or 10, I was finally old enough to

to go hang out with my dad out in Eastern Oregon for the elk hunt and stuff like that. And yeah, really cut my teeth big time with hunting. I would say starting at 12 years old with Wayne Indicott and my dad taking me spring bear hunting. So back then it was a youth bear tag. It was pretty much guaranteed draw every single year from.

the time you're 12 to about 17 years old I think is what it was. So that was some of my most memorable hunts was hiking around those canyons with a bow and a camo that was way too big and boots that never fit.

Ryan Uffens (03:57)
It looks like you've probably grown into him now.

Jared Thomas (03:59)
Yeah, a little bit. Yeah, I got

a little taller, a little bigger.

Ryan Uffens (04:03)
I know. Well, that's

cool. What was, do you have a favorite memory of hunting with your old man?

Jared Thomas (04:12)
There's so many of them.

Yeah, I mean, honestly, I would probably say one of my most memorable ones was a recent hunt we did in Eastern Oregon. I didn't have a tag or anything. I just went over to kind of film and it was kind of a mentally a tough year for me. So that was the year I really picked up the Bible, started diving into that and just some really spiritual things happened on that hunt with my dad. We kind of just let, just let

God handle it, you know? And he ended up killing a cow, but it was just, it was a really like the most stress-free hunt I've ever been on. And we just hung out together and just had a good time. That's probably definitely, as far as recent hunts go, that was probably one of my most memorable ones. So.

Ryan Uffens (05:06)
Okay.

Well, good. Well, maybe we'll have to put a pin in that and come back. We can talk about that if you want to about some of your things that made it the mentally toughest year for you. tell me if you would, like, so you're talking Spring Bear and we talked about that. Like, what have you got planned this year? What have you got in the books?

Jared Thomas (05:19)
Yeah, of course.

Ryan Uffens (05:36)
what's been your favorite spring bear hunt that you've done.

Jared Thomas (05:41)
Um, ooh, uh, my favorite spring bear hunt. Depends. We've had, uh, we've had some pretty memorable bear hunts. Uh, one of the, probably one of the hardest bear hunts I had was, was that 22? 2022? Um, this, this video's on YouTube. It's called the Bearathon. We ended up hiking, uh, 25 miles into the Frank Church, um, for a bear.

I'll never do that again. So that was definitely the most physically challenging one. I got Giardia on that hunt. There was forest fires rolling in. was pretty sketchy. But I killed my first bear with a bow when I was 14, spot in the stock. And my dad was right by my side on that one. So that was very memorable. But what was black bear? Yeah, was a cinnamon. Yeah, she's in there.

Ryan Uffens (06:33)
Black Bear.

Okay.

Jared Thomas (06:39)
But then last year, my dad and I, finally drew the spring bear tag again. And just one drainage to the north, killed. It wasn't a big bear, but it was, I say it's my dream bear because I literally had dreams about this bear. It was a full black bear with a black face and then it had a white patch on its chest. And it was just, I had that.

had dreams about that bear. I've always wanted to kill a black bear with a black face because there's a lot of color face bear over there. I think I could count on one hand like how many just black black bears are over there that I've seen. So it was pretty cool to do that.

Ryan Uffens (07:22)
Tell me about

that hunt. me some of the details on it. So you've dreamt about it. I mean, it's something that you've been planning, but I mean, was it a hard hunt? Was it?

Jared Thomas (07:26)
on that.

Um, no, it was, so I hadn't been back there in 20 years. Uh, no, 15 years. I hadn't been back in that area. Just grown up college life happened. Um, we just never made it back out there. And I will say the canyons they're big, but they're not as, I don't remember them. I remember them a lot bigger when I was 12. Those things are huge, Um, but.

It's mean, it's steep country. was it's a pretty low, key hunt. I mean, we could have definitely probably made it harder. We slept in most mornings and got got out there on the hillsides around like eight o'clock. The sun was already up. I mean, like I said, we could have made it harder, could have woke up earlier, could have gone in further and stuff. But again, following the year prior, we were just keeping it low key and really trying to soak in the moments.

It's funny over the last handful of years, especially with social media and stuff, I've gotten wrapped up in being all stressed out about really killing, being successful, having content to share, stuff like that. And so really tried to step away from that and it was really nice. But no, I think I killed it on like our second full day in there. And like I said, it was just a drainage.

north of where I killed my first bear when I was 14. So was exactly 20 years apart, which was, it was pretty cool to be back in there with my dad and make that happen. And yeah, didn't have to, we hiked in probably a third of a mile off the road, just dropped straight down into these canyons because there's a top road and then these canyons just bail off and there's just a bunch of green hillsides and stuff like that. So.

Pretty mellow, was a fairly steep pack out like I said, but it was good. Nice close shot.

Ryan Uffens (09:32)
Good.

those are the best. So I've never been on a spring bear hunt. It's something that my boy and I are looking, going out and doing this year. I say spring, it's probably going to end up being a late spring, early summer. But like when you go out from the research, I've kind of figured out like kind of like evenings, better time to try and

Jared Thomas (09:51)
early summer.

Ryan Uffens (10:02)
and get the bears. Is that what you've seen or like that necessarily evenings but just later in the day?

Jared Thomas (10:08)
You know, I've I've heard that and the last couple times, gosh, I can't say that there's an always right. Always is never is always always is never something like that. But like I killed my bear in the morning. I killed him at like eight thirty nine in the morning and. That just it it was really hot during the days that we were hunting like in the afternoon and stuff.

So we didn't really see any bears in the evening on that trip. But the year prior, or was two years prior in Idaho, I think we saw most of our bears in the evening. But it was a completely different terrain. Like there was still a bunch of snow on the ground. The hillsides weren't as green. And it was not nearly as hot as it was this last trip in Oregon. So.

If I did it again, my dad and I were talking. Like I said, we didn't make it very difficult because we slept in and stuff. Next time, we're definitely going to get up before dark just to optimize our chances. Because I feel like we missed out on some opportunities there. Because I filmed a bear hunt. This was fall, but I filmed a bear hunt in Colorado for American Hero Adventures.

Ryan Uffens (11:27)
Okay.

Jared Thomas (11:37)
and I, a majority of our bears we saw were, were in the morning. Pretty, pretty first thing is, I was out of,

Ryan Uffens (11:44)
And where was that at?

Jared Thomas (11:51)
drawing a blank right now. Colorado. Yeah, that fall bear hunt was that in Colorado.

Ryan Uffens (11:52)
Well, like what state was it in? Colorado, okay.

Yeah. And when I say like

what I've been researching, like we're looking at going up and doing like the Idaho spring bearer. And that's kind like my research is telling me like you're most likely to see them in the evenings up there. Like as you as you are you doing a spring bear hunt this year?

Jared Thomas (12:11)
Yeah.

I do not have one on the books currently, but it's one of my favorite hunts. I'm looking at Montana or Idaho. I didn't draw Oregon.

Ryan Uffens (12:28)
What when you kind of sit down and plan out a bear hunt, like how much research like and what do you put into it as far as planning and that goes?

Jared Thomas (12:37)
Not nearly enough. I will say that. So I mean, like I said, I had the benefit that I grew up in that spot pretty much in Oregon. And we spent a lot of time there. And my buddy of mine still hunts there to that day. So I just picked his brain a little bit. But like the Idaho hunt, we did quite a bit of e-scouting for that.

Ryan Uffens (12:41)
Well, you're having success, so it's not... You must be doing something right.

Jared Thomas (13:06)
And we went on, my buddy, Cade, it was his spot that he wanted to check out. So he already had that kind of picked out, but we really dove into looking at like the canyons, which way the hillsides were facing kind of where we wanted to end up. depending on if you're to go back country or something like that, it's always like good idea to, to plan out your camping spots and how far you really want to get in certain days. and stuff like that, but.

I mean, finding those green hillsides and where those north faces just kind of feed, those heavy timbered north faces feed into those green hillsides, those are really good spots you want to look. That's exactly where my bear popped out last year. It came right out of one of those north faces and fed out on a pretty green hillside. So those are really good spots to look for.

Ryan Uffens (14:06)
And you're doing archery?

Jared Thomas (14:08)
No, that was rifle last year. Most of it now is rifle. I like to fill tags. As far as spring bear goes.

Ryan Uffens (14:10)
for.

rifle.

What's the most difficult part of trying to take a bear with archery? Like, I mean, rifle, obviously, you've got like a lot more distance that you can reach out and get them. Is it is it wind? mean, it seems like wind in all big game hunting. But I mean, man, like bears, their their noses are able to like timestamp when something was there and where

Jared Thomas (14:30)
Yeah.

yeah, yeah, a bear's nose is incredible. But honestly, I think aside from the wind, cause that's kind of like you said, an obvious one with big game is from what I noticed is these bears are like always on the move. So my bear, had like three minutes before this bear fed out of the timber and fed all the way across this open hillside and it was gone. I did not have, so if I would have spotted that bear with a bow, there's no way I could have gotten a stock in on.

in time, right? Like I don't remember there being very often in that area in Oregon where we spotted a bear bedded and sleeping kind of thing on a hillside to where you could make a really good stock. One way that we were successful on my first bear with a bow was we had somebody on the other side of the big drainage and we were kind of glassing for each other.

And they were able to call us up and say, Hey, this bear, because we got on the bear in the morning, fed out, it fed into the timber and bedded or did whatever it was doing. And then later in that day, after a storm passed, it came back out. So they got back on the, on the phone and got ahold of us. And it was, was letting us know that it was feeding up the hill towards us. So we got ready and the bear fed to us and I shot it with a bow at 25 yards. So.

I just, they just never stop moving.

Ryan Uffens (16:16)
Sweet man.

It's wild when you start watching videos on them on how fast they can move across the mountainside too, because it's like, you know, just from what I've been up, you know, trying to stalk elk and things like that, I don't go fast at all. And when they decide that they want to move to a new area, I mean, they can create distance between you and no time at all.

Jared Thomas (16:37)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, yeah, big time. it's like there's times where you think they're going to hang out for a while because they're sitting there digging in rocks and they're flipping stuff over and stuff. And they do hang out for a little bit. I mean, like you said, they just move on. It's like they got ADD or something.

Ryan Uffens (17:01)
Yeah. All right. Yeah.

Perfect animal for me to hunt. What.

Jared Thomas (17:08)
Right?

Ryan Uffens (17:13)
have you I mean it sounds like you haven't had too many close encounters that's you know one of the things a lot of people worry about is you know bumping a bear when they're out hunting and obviously if you're hunting elk you get an animal down or a deer like that becomes more

Maybe something to be aware of. But have you have you come across many encounters where you're not out there actually looking for them or you bumped into bear?

Jared Thomas (17:42)
Honestly, it's been pretty rare. My second bear I killed with a bow was one of those scenarios where it was, I was just still hunting through a bunch of timber, just doing some calf calls with that little baby Hoochie mama back in the day. Just tooting on that thing every now and then, still hunting. And as I was kind of slowly creeping through the timber, I looked to my left at 20 yards and there's this chocolate bear walking on a log, paralleling me. And I just...

in Oregon, just over the counter, fall bear tag, $17. So I had a fall bear tag. So I just drew back and shot him. And that was all she wrote on that one. So yeah, that was, I tell people all the time, and where are from again? Where are you at in Idaho? Oh, you're in Utah. OK. OK. OK. So you run into a lot of moose out here, Yeah.

Ryan Uffens (18:29)
I'm in Utah. Davis County. Yeah.

Yeah.

Jared Thomas (18:38)
And I tell people all the time, honestly, I would rather cross paths with a black bear than I would a mama moose with calves.

Ryan Uffens (18:45)
We bumped a mama with two calves and it was.

Yeah, it's unnerving.

Jared Thomas (18:53)
I've never drawn my pistol on a bear. I've drawn my pistol on a cow moose because she was not happy and I had to circle like 250 yards around because she kept like coming after us.

Ryan Uffens (19:08)
She turned into the predator.

Jared Thomas (19:11)
Yeah, she did. Yeah. So I've never had any scenarios where I've been scared or super concerned about black bears. I mean, mountain lions scare me more than black bears do, but.

Yeah, I don't know.

Ryan Uffens (19:28)
Well, in

Utah, it's kind of free, free range right now. I mean, they've got it too. Yeah. The mountain lions. If you got your license and you cross paths with one, you can let her let her rip.

Jared Thomas (19:34)
on the mountain lions? Yeah.

Yeah, which is funny. I still, still to this day, so I filmed, I filmed a mountain lion hunt, gosh when was that? was three years ago? Here in Utah with hounds and stuff like that. And still to this day, that's the only mountain lion I've ever seen in the wild. And I spend a lot of time in the mountains. I must just be terrible at finding them or that's why I don't kill any elk and deers, cause I'm in the wrong area. but I don't, I don't see him that often.

Ryan Uffens (20:09)
Yeah.

Jared Thomas (20:12)
I've cut tracks a bunch.

Ryan Uffens (20:13)
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Jared Thomas (20:43)
often.

I've cut tracks a bunch.

Ryan Uffens (20:46)
Yeah, I've come across tracks. We've got up and tried to like chase and get on some. I mean, we know that there's evidence of them. And then, mean, just at there's a school just here, you know, in Farmington that is right at the base of the mountain. And so you get mountain lines that will come down. And so there's a guy that I bumped into up the shooting range.

And he doesn't hunt, but he likes to, you know, likes to shoot his rifle and pistols and stuff and shotguns. And he's like, yeah, he goes, it's kind of, you know, they come down and the kids are out there playing. And I told him, I'm like, next time you see one, I'm like, here's my number. Like you call me. Like all. Yeah, well, I mean, like I said, it's. When I maybe say.

Jared Thomas (21:27)
Yeah, right or shoot it because it's next to some kids

Ryan Uffens (21:37)
next to some kids is maybe a little bit of a stretch. It's not like they're out at recess or something, but it will kind of come down and they'll look around. And I think most of it's probably some of the younger ones that are getting pushed down. But yeah, they like to come down and eat people's pets. That's for sure. mean, hop into a backyard. There was a couple of years ago when it was really, really bad.

Jared Thomas (21:50)
Yeah.

Ryan Uffens (22:01)
you would see like on ring, you'd get notifications. People are just posting mountain lines 24 seven. And this was like right in the area that I had lived. They didn't come quite down as far as to where I am, but they, they were all over and you, would hear, you would hear them eating some pets. Like, like it was, you know, I, cause it would be, you know, cooler cools down at night, throw the window open and.

Jared Thomas (22:31)
Mm-hmm.

Ryan Uffens (22:31)
One time my

wife was like, what on earth is that sound? like, that's a mountain lion. She's like, you got to be kidding me. And I'm like, that was a mountain lion and it is chowing down on somebody's pet right now. So.

Jared Thomas (22:41)
Yeah, that's

not good. That is not good. Yeah, I was talking to

Ryan Uffens (22:45)
But yeah, they,

and the thing is too, is like, they're quiet, right? Like a lot of times, like, you don't know they're following. mean, they could be following you and, and you might be looking for them, but unless they want to see you and step out, you know, present themselves, like you might not come across them.

Jared Thomas (23:06)
Yeah, and that screaming sound that they do, I've had them following me, whether they're following me or they were going the same direction at the same speed I was going or not in the middle of the more like a dark hiking into a hunting spot. I've had them screaming behind me and that was a creepy sound.

Ryan Uffens (23:25)
Yeah, I well, yeah, their scream is is gnarly. The other thing that I'm not going to do is as I, you know, I tell everybody like I'm a I'm terrible at elk calling and elk hunting is primarily what I do. And I started listening to. Mountain lions. And I think no, no wonder I'm not calling in any elk is because my cow call.

Jared Thomas (23:27)
Cough

Mm-hmm.

Ryan Uffens (23:53)
sounds more like a mountain lion so they're like like let's get out of here there's a mountain lion around so i think i think i'm better off just putting the putting the elk call away and not trying to do a cow call and just walk around more yeah it's it's wild if you haven't heard a mountain lion like people should just go like google it just

Jared Thomas (23:56)
I'm getting out of here.

Ryan Uffens (24:19)
Google similarity between a cow call and a mountain lion. Yeah. My face will pop up. I'll just, I started, I started listening to it I'm like, well no wonder nothing's ever coming in to see what's going on. So anyway, nice thing is I got some good buddies that are gonna go out with me this year that are pretty good at the bugling and we'll, probably get it done this year.

Jared Thomas (24:20)
out. Yeah.

and your face will pop out.

Ugh.

Hey, that's the only thing better about than you being a good elk callers having buddies that are good elk callers Because then they're calling the elk for you, right?

Ryan Uffens (24:52)
Yeah. Well, and some of the guys

that I've gotten to know through this podcast and that it's like they're they're such amazing hunters and they've done everything. They're kind of at a stage in their career where they like helping other people have success. And so they're like, well, I'm just going to take you out. And I'm like, I'm not going to like I'm going to hold you to it. I'm not going to fight you on it. So.

Jared Thomas (25:15)
Yeah,

definitely not going to say no to that.

Ryan Uffens (25:18)
Yeah, it's, it's, it's, there's some people that are really good at it and I am not one of those people that is good at, alcohol and so I guess just kind of know your strengths, right?

Jared Thomas (25:29)
Yeah, exactly. You got any elk plans this year?

Ryan Uffens (25:34)
So I don't I'm so new to hunting like I have no points. I'm just going to try and get an OTC tag and I've got a I've got a place out here that I'm going to go look and then we're to go out with some friends up in the Uintas a little bit probably try and chase something around but Quinn Green who's a good buddy and he put in for manti is it manti?

man, I think it's man tie, man tie oak. And we were looking at the draw odds and I think he's got like a 97 % like draw odds. So we got a we got a crew we're gonna go down there and with our over the counter, I think it become across the cow or something like I've yet to kill anything. So like, I, I don't know. I question sometimes why I'm doing a hunting podcast, but then I remind myself of so that I can become a better hunter and learn from the pros who know what they're doing.

Jared Thomas (26:15)
sweet.

okay.

You

Yeah.

Ryan Uffens (26:34)
and

go out there and have success. yeah, we're going to put, we've got a little crew together that we're going to go out and some other guys that really good at calling. then we did.

I think there was a couple of us that put in to see if we could get a buck tag out there. So if we're out there helping him and he has success and we come across a nice buck out there, we'll see if we can't pull double duty. yeah, those are kind of the plans for the fall here. What about you?

Jared Thomas (27:07)
That'll be awesome.

I have my dedicated deer. So I got one more year of that. they killed, I killed a buck the first year. And then last year to the age class just wasn't there. So I never, I put it on a couple of stocks and I think I had one or two mature bucks that I found, but ended up just eating that tag. Cause I just really wanted to try to kill a mature buck.

I only killed a couple mature bucks in my life and really want another one. one more year of that and hopefully the age class picked up a little bit. There was a lot of bucks that were like on the verge of being old enough. So I'm really excited for this year.

Ryan Uffens (27:55)
Well, we had come

out of a couple tough winters too. I we had that one where it was just, I mean, it decimated like mule deer, elk. It was crazy.

Jared Thomas (27:59)
Very tough.

yeah, yeah, and especially these units like where near where I'm at and where you're at They just got hammered But mountain goat I've been trying to look in the draw odds looking at the units because they opened a bunch of units back up this year I have a pretty good chance of drawing an archery mountain goat tag So I really want to try to see which one I don't really care what unit I Like draw I just want an opportunity to kill a mountain goat

Ryan Uffens (28:28)
Okay.

Jared Thomas (28:38)
And it doesn't have to be something huge. You know what mean? I just want to try to do that. But elk will be over the counter. And my dad and I usually get together every year in Oregon for that, for elk as well. So we'll see if that works out. They changed it to where even a lot of the over-the-counter units you have to draw as well for those. And then probably an antelope tag in Oregon if we draw that.

So that's kind of all I got. I missed the Colorado draw. I was going through a captain's promotional testing and I spaced it in the stress. So that sucks. Yeah. But my buddy's been asking me for years to make it out there and try to kill a bear in September with him. So I need to make that happen. And Colorado. Yep.

Ryan Uffens (29:20)
It happens.

in Oregon, Colorado. Okay,

that would be fun.

Jared Thomas (29:37)
Yeah, they got some big bears out there.

Ryan Uffens (29:40)
So how much do you like, you're clearly a fit individual, like how much do you focus on your fitness for, sounds like the bear hunts haven't been too bad aside from the bear-a-thon, which I'm excited to go watch that video tonight. I put that on my to-do list, but yeah, as you prepare, obviously elk hunting is very demanding. I mean, depending on where you go.

Jared Thomas (29:53)
Yeah.

Heck yeah.

Ryan Uffens (30:09)
But yeah, how much focus do you put on that? how much would you say that weighs into your opportunity for success?

Jared Thomas (30:20)
I think it's very, very crucial to be physically fit in hunting. I mean, there is definitely a big uptick in fitness and hunting, which has been incredible to see. I mean, you got Dan Staten and Cameron Haynes and all these people pushing the fitness. Yeah, I never heard of them. But just big names that push a lot of fitness and hunting. A lot of my training

Ryan Uffens (30:40)
Who? I'm just kidding. Never heard of him.

Jared Thomas (30:50)
Especially I would say over the last five years I've really I've tamed it down a lot on just like maxing out and just Bro lifting and stuff like that, especially with my job. I really try to focus on functional fitness and a lot of that functional fitness in the fire service translates over into hunting So I do a whole bunch of like unilateral stuff. So like single leg squats and lunges and core work and stuff like that

and I mean, I try to try to get in at least five days a week, trying to stay in shape and stuff like that. But I mean, Utah is no joke when it comes to a steep rugged country. And I definitely from the first couple of years I lived here, I didn't have as much of an emphasis on the training style as I do now. And I definitely wasn't acclimated the first year.

to this kind of terrain. So I definitely feel like my opportunities have increased pretty significantly being able to be in shape. Especially, I mean, you spot something a mile away, you know that you can get there in 30 minutes and you have two hours of daylight left versus if you're out of shape, like there's no way you're gonna make that happen. You know what I mean? And that might be one of your only chances.

So being able to bomb down and bomb back up and still have your wits about you to make something happen, I think is very important.

Ryan Uffens (32:24)
You know, the energy to be able to draw back on your bow.

Jared Thomas (32:27)
Yeah,

Ryan Uffens (32:30)
It's like, yeah,

it's like, okay, I get on this thing, am I going to be able to like recover? And when I draw back not sit there, like, put the pin where it's supposed to be and stop the shakes and all that. But yeah, you do you it's it that's one of the things that I love about El Canteen is it it demands more of you physically. And I think the other thing that it ties into is just like the mental aspect.

Jared Thomas (32:39)
Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

Ryan Uffens (32:59)
where you just, you have to learn to push yourself past.

I guess some of the limiting beliefs that you put on yourself, it's like you said, can I bomb down this mountain and get up and get in range to be able to take a shot on this elk? Or if it's like, meh, miss out on those types of opportunities.

Jared Thomas (33:22)
Yeah, I mean there's been years where I've been in like really really good shape and then a year where I wasn't in as good a shape in just that exact scenario like even questioning it for 20 minutes and now it's too late because I wasn't in the shape that I was either the year before or the year before that, you know what mean? So then that opportunity is gone. And then not to mention the pack out, I mean an elk is not a small animal so...

Ryan Uffens (33:51)
I'm looking forward to enduring that pain.

Jared Thomas (33:54)
It's amazing really is that's one of my favorite favorite things man is packing out elk if everyone someone ever needs help packing out an elk here in Utah Just call me. I will I will do whatever I can to be there

Ryan Uffens (34:07)
Yeah, it's like I said, yet to experience that, but I think one way or another with a couple of the groups we're going out with, I'll be able to assist in that and ideally I'm going to be doing it myself. So, yeah.

Jared Thomas (34:21)
yeah.

Yeah. Especially if you got a good group of people, man. It's a lot of fun, the camaraderie and everything. The Sufferfest together is pretty special.

Ryan Uffens (34:32)
I just

see that's part of like what the why I train the way I do now is like I don't want to be the guy that everyone's waiting for

Jared Thomas (34:41)
Yeah.

Right? Yeah.

Ryan Uffens (34:44)
I'm like, I'm

like, and I'm getting up there too. mean, I'm, I mean, I say up there, I'm not that old, but I'm 45 and having not done this before. And I'm now like in the best shape of my life, which is pathetic to think of actually, um, aside from the injuries that I'm constantly, it seems like every year there's something like hamstring torn plantar fascia tendon hamstring the next year, two a month ago.

grade two shoulder separation, falling. But it's, know, I keep telling myself, I'm like, how am I in the best shape of my life? But you get older and things just start to break and you wanna be able to give yourself an opportunity to, know, recover. I do notice though that even though, like when I do have injuries, just because I've like, I've pushed myself, if I'm smart and I don't overdo it.

Jared Thomas (35:15)
man.

yeah.

Ryan Uffens (35:39)
and like I let the recovery kind of play its course. I do recover faster than what I did when I was just like, you know, I call it back when I was skinny fat, you know, so.

Jared Thomas (35:50)
Yeah.

huh. for sure, man. And it's, I didn't ever want to believe anybody when you turn 30, it's all downhill from there as far as just sleep wrong and you can't frickin move, Goodness. Yeah.

Ryan Uffens (36:01)
Do not, I see nothing but blue skies ahead of me.

Yeah, but

yeah, so tell me like how do you mentally prepare for some of these hunts? I mean, there's the physical aspect, but like, you know, and you you talked about the hunt that you were out on with with your dad and you know, it sounds like there were some spiritual things that have. mean, if you want to share them, would love to hear them. If it's personal, like by all means, like you don't have to. But but tell me a little bit about what what you got going on there and your thoughts on that.

Jared Thomas (36:23)
Ahem.

I don't know, man.

I'm an open book when it comes to this stuff. I love talking about this stuff. And I think I've told this story a handful of times. And podcasts are just talking to people and stuff like that. But the spiritual journey has been pretty awesome. yeah, preparing mentally for the hunts.

The physical side of things, like you said, is very important because if you're just flat out exhausted and everything, you're already going to start losing the mental side of the game. Just battling that, like, can I keep going on? Should I keep going on? Should I just go home? Stuff like that. So if you're not ready to go physically, that's a great place to start. But no, man.

The harsh reality of first responder job is that you see some pretty dark stuff and you go to some pretty dark places. And then you're just away from family and just the mental health battle is, it's just constant with our job. there was a couple of years ago on the deer hunt, I...

long story short, pretty much, not a mental breakdown, but I packed in the day before opener. I was like seven miles in and I set up my tent and everything. got to the top of the hill and started glassing for the evening for the last hour and a half of daylight. And within five, 10 minutes, did I started just breaking down. I was bawling, not in the right mental space to be up there.

So I battled with myself for a little bit and just decided to pack everything up and go back home.

And then when I was home, I was home for about a week and I ended up stumbling upon my grandpa's old Bible and just started reading it and it completely just flipped a switch, man. And I felt so much peace and comfort. And the next two days I went out with my buddy Braxton, we killed two bucks back to back and it was was pretty crazy.

And the next trip was that one with my dad and that cow hunt. And I was like, I was reading, was reading every night before bed, just, just like 10 minutes worth or a chapter worth. It wasn't much, but I was able to stay consistent and stuff like that. And really was just like, I just read it from A to Z was reading the Bible. Like I started page one, like there wasn't like, I wasn't following any sort of any, I just started reading it.

Just wanted to read it.

Ryan Uffens (39:32)
kind of bounces all over the place anyway so yeah

Jared Thomas (39:35)
It does, yeah. So I just, yeah, I just started reading it and I found I started becoming really like hyper aware of his hand in everything in my life. And I think that was one of the big things on that elk hunt. Like that little voice in my head or in my dad's head on that hunt, we just listened to it from things as silly as like, man, we should really shoot my dad's bow, you know.

because something just felt like we needed to shoot it and dude he was six inches off at 50 yards. The next morning he shot his elk at 50 yards and 12 ringed it. it's just little things like that and we just went with the flow of everything and I think having that spiritual aspect because I've always been pretty spiritual.

Ryan Uffens (40:10)
Hmm.

Yeah.

Jared Thomas (40:32)
I don't want to say I'm not religious. I grew up in multiple different churches with Catholic, Christian, some LDS here and there, stuff like that. So...

I've never been just in one, but being able to read the Bible and stuff for myself and just taking that journey for myself, it was a really good experience for me to really just kind of formulate my own thoughts and stuff like that. So.

Ryan Uffens (41:06)
Well, that's awesome. think.

And I've talked about this on a couple other podcasts. One, when you get out in the wilderness, it shows you how small you really are. But there's that flip side to where you had talked about. You can see God's hand in everything that it is that you do.

I'm a member of the predominant church out here in Utah. I have my flaws. I have things that I struggle with.

But when you do turn your focus to the savior, think, especially when you're going through things and some of the stuff that you're seeing and dealing with is like, that's way, way, way heavier than anything that I have to deal with. But you start dealing with seeing that loss and stuff. Like I can see how that could just really like break somebody. My cousin,

He was EMT, worked with the fire department for a long time. And man, he's seen the thing. There's not a lot of people that you can go to that can relate. And I think that's why you have, in the military, you have these brotherhoods where it's like the guys stay connected.

Jared Thomas (42:28)
Ahem.

Yeah, that's very true. Yeah.

Ryan Uffens (42:42)
law enforcement and fire department, things like that. I couldn't imagine some of the things that you have to see and deal with. And loss is real. it's probably, if not daily, on a weekly basis that that's something that you're going through. But I found, one, when I try and strengthen my relationship with Jesus, whatever I'm going through, I feel that burden lighten.

Jared Thomas (43:13)
Absolutely.

Ryan Uffens (43:13)
and

and we're taught that we're supposed to give it to him. but there's the other part of us like the carnal man, right? That is like, I'll just, I'm just gonna, I, I'll handle it. Yeah. Suck it up. And and for a lot, a lot of the time, like growing up, like my guys, my age, it's like you, you were like, just like, hey, suck it up, be a man. And I think that that still holds true.

Jared Thomas (43:24)
I got this. I can do it. I'm fine.

Ryan Uffens (43:42)
But I think the definition of what that means by sucking it up and being a man is there's so much going on in the world, man, that it's just like life gets heavy and people just feel defeated. And I think it's good for guys to be able to talk about that, like whether it's focusing on your relationship with the savior.

Jared Thomas (43:53)
Mm.

Ryan Uffens (44:08)
or just opening up and talking to somebody else. I find the more you do that, the more Jesus becomes more the focal point. And you can, and God kinda like just like, well, he's like, I can help you through this, but you gotta do it my way. And that's where I struggle is I'm like, yeah, but.

Jared Thomas (44:15)
Yeah.

It's not your timeline, man.

Ryan Uffens (44:33)
And when,

and when we recognize that things tend to start falling into place and it's like, man, it would have been easier if three years ago I did that or six months ago or a month ago, a week ago, or if I would just do it today. Right. So yeah, no, I appreciate you sharing that. And it's not something that, uh, it's definitely become more like guys are a lot more open to talking about the stuff that they've, that they're going through. Um,

Jared Thomas (44:43)
Absolutely.

Yeah. Yep.

Yeah,

which is good. No, that's good. I think it's needed. But yeah, I mean, to kind of expand on that and to answer your question more, making sure that everything on the home front is dialed in. If you got loose ends at home and things aren't copacetic at home, I can tell you that that is going to feel about 10 times worse when you're by yourself on the mountainside.

Ryan Uffens (45:05)
So, yeah.

Jared Thomas (45:29)
You have a lot of time to think up there so that that plays into the mental mental health side or the mental toughness side of hunting You got to have your affairs in order So that way you can focus on your hunt was and I think that's a big part of why I was able to really focus on those few hunts after that kind of short journey, you know

just having everything in order and I was out there, was on the mountain. I was able to focus on my hunt. I was able to focus on the kill and not have all this stuff going on, all this noise in the back of my head. So I think that gotta make sure that those affairs are in order.

Ryan Uffens (46:15)
And I think that applies just to all aspects of life. I mean, it's the same thing. Like if you don't have things in order, it makes it hard to do the day to day job. I don't care what it is you do for a living. Like it just makes it hard because there's that distraction and it will just get you to the point where like you'll kind of like break down and you'll start thinking about it and.

Jared Thomas (46:37)
Mm-hmm.

Ryan Uffens (46:39)
and you'll kind of zone out. may be at your desk working in front of a computer doing whatever, but your mind is completely someplace else. And if you are working, you're not giving it your all. And it's the same thing. Like you go to the gym, when you're with your family, it starts distracting you because it's like, I've got this thing that I've got to deal with. And it pulls away from that time that you get with your family. And you only, I mean,

I'm kind of at a different stage in my life. Like all my kids are adults now. And it's fun to see. It's fun to be at that stage where they're getting married and growing in their individual roles and what they're trying to accomplish. yeah, it can definitely be a distraction. So no matter what you do, take time. I think if you need to get it right with the Lord, do that.

Jared Thomas (47:13)
Mm-hmm.

Ryan Uffens (47:38)
and then just start putting the other things in the proper place and just start checking away at trying to get things organized to where you can do the things that you want to do and not feel burdened by them.

Jared Thomas (47:54)
Yeah, exactly. That kind of goes with what you said about sucking up being a man. I think one of our jobs of being a man is being aware of your surroundings, And that goes into being aware of all of the crap that's out of its place. Like you're saying, get it in the right place and the right priority and stuff like that.

Ryan Uffens (48:16)
Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes, mean, the past, I mean, I've got so much that's happening right now. It's like just drinking from a fire hose. And, you know, it's just like, hey, just do it. Just pick one thing and just start chipping away at it. And then what you listen to, you know, what you kind of like what you're putting into your head, the books you read and things like that, like it can impact you and either.

a positive way or a negative way. so it would just, you know, that would be my only other thing would just be if it's if you're if you're going through something, be aware of what you're consuming and the thoughts that you're putting into your head. You know, because because I know there's a lot of people that just that I know that just.

Jared Thomas (48:58)
Mm-hmm.

Ryan Uffens (49:08)
It becomes easy to fall into the victim mentality. And when you get there, it's hard to turn that around and be like, need to take responsibility for myself and my actions and just accept them for what they are and start moving forward.

Jared Thomas (49:24)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, and it's funny you say that about the music and stuff like that because when I started Really reading and like I didn't do this on purpose I just noticed myself gravitating towards this like all I wanted to listen to is like casting crowns and like like you know what I mean like Christian music and stuff like that and it was like my stuff that I always loved listening to I didn't want to listen to it anymore and I definitely feel a calmer sense

listening to the right kind of music.

Ryan Uffens (49:58)
Yeah. And it's not easy to make that change either too. Cause it's like, when I go to the gym, like I found, yeah, yeah. But it's crazy how it starts. It does, spills over to other aspects of your life and it can change your mood and demeanor. And you know, I think that,

Jared Thomas (50:08)
You to use some angry music.

Ryan Uffens (50:27)
you know, oftentimes the church that I'm a part of, they're like, hey, be careful the music that you're listening to. And I was a hypocrite because I would listen to this. And when I was a kid, I listened to a certain type of music. And then I hear my kids listening to stuff and they're like, well, dad, I've heard your old stuff. I'm like, my old stuff is not bad. And then I go back and play it I'm like,

Jared Thomas (50:41)
Yeah.

Yeah, if we only

knew back then.

Ryan Uffens (50:51)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe,

maybe it was, but I do think there's something to, I definitely think there's something to changing, like I said, that input that you're that you're listening to the music that you're putting in. And like I said, the books, whether it's it's your Bible, you know, Book of Mormon, whatever it is, I mean, just

Jared Thomas (51:05)
Mm-hmm.

Ryan Uffens (51:19)
the books that you read and the things that you consume, they can either help your growth or they can hinder your growth. And so that's something that I've noticed that I over the past couple of months have really started to put an emphasis on. I haven't been perfect, but it definitely, know, what I've listened to today, you know, going into the office and that, you know, I'm listening to different audio books and podcasts that are focused on helping things that are going to make me better.

Jared Thomas (51:27)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Ryan Uffens (51:48)
And then when things go bad, you just kind of like roll with it, you address it and move on. mean, and that applies to hunting because I I've yet to go out and be like, hey, this is my plan and have it go exactly as I've had it planned in my mind.

Jared Thomas (52:04)
Yeah, 99.9 % of the time it doesn't go as planned.

Ryan Uffens (52:07)
And it's almost immediately. Like right out the gate, so. Anyway. Well, Jared, hey, as as we kind of wrap up here, I've been asking this question to some of the folks and I want to ask it to you like like what's one of the most overrated pieces of hunting equipment? Or tools.

Jared Thomas (52:12)
Yep, exactly.

Hmm

overrated piece of a hunting equipment.

That's good question. I'm kind of a gear nut.

Ryan Uffens (52:45)
So you're the right guy to answer this then.

Jared Thomas (52:48)
I guess. I know what's important, but I'm trying to think of what I have that I could do without.

Ryan Uffens (52:59)
Well, while you're thinking about that, what is the one piece of... No, no, no, you're good. And I apologize for doing that. But okay, so what's the one piece of equipment that you won't go hunting without?

Jared Thomas (53:03)
You're me on the spot, I'm not good at that.

you're good.

I actually have a couple that I tell everybody if you're gonna spend money on these couple things Then spend your money on these couple things and that's a good pair of boots and a good hunt and pack Those two things if I have for lack of a better term Wally world specials and I'm miserable those those two things will will in my hunt faster than I think any other piece of equipment I have

Ryan Uffens (53:43)
Okay.

Jared Thomas (53:44)
Because I mean, in all reality, you could do without binos, you could do without a rangefinder, right? Like, they used to do it all the time back in the day, but I think a good pair of boots, especially if you're putting in double digit days, like, that's one of my things, that my little hill that I die on is probably the pair of boots is more important than a pack.

Ryan Uffens (53:55)
Hmm. I agree.

your feet or what's going to get you around the mountain. Yeah.

Jared Thomas (54:10)
Yeah, because I can hunt in blue jeans, right?

camo. I'll say camo. Camo is the most overrated thing there is. I've been hunting in solids for the last handful of years, and I'm still killing stuff. Is it camo?

Ryan Uffens (54:25)
but we have a streak going here. Everyone that we've been talking to has

been defaulting to camo. you're not off the mark. Yeah, I figured what you said, blue jeans. was like, it's coming. It's coming. It's coming. But yeah, I mean, think about it. I you look back at some guys out there killing there in, you know, blue jeans and, you know, red and black plaid flannel. Like they're just out there getting it done.

Jared Thomas (54:35)
Yeah.

He's gonna say camo. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, dude, my dad killed more animals when I was younger in no shirt and cut off predator pants that were shorts than anything else.

Ryan Uffens (55:02)
Dude, that's awesome. Makes me worry, though, about ticks. I'm like, that would be nice to go out there on some of those days. But dude, ticks, maybe that would be the one thing that I would probably add is the tick removers.

Jared Thomas (55:09)
Yeah.

yeah.

Ryan Uffens (55:19)
I mean, you know, I've come across him. haven't had any problems, but I've seen some dude. I've seen some areas where I'm like, holy cow.

Jared Thomas (55:22)
I haven't ran into that many ticks.

Well, have you seen like Brady and their, the go hunt films and their bear hunting and they're just duct tape full of ticks. It's like, no, thanks, man. I got in trouble a couple of years ago because I killed a black tail when we were visiting my parents in Oregon and, I had it in the garage and twin boys, right? They're curious and everything. So they're out there hanging out with me while I'm caping this thing out and everything. And the next morning we wake up and,

Ryan Uffens (55:34)
Yeah. Yeah.

Jared Thomas (55:56)
my mom goes, Royal, my one of my boys name is Royal. What's it what's on his ear? There's a black dot on his ear. And I'm like, Oh, no. So I looked at he's got a frickin tick in his ear. So mom, mom wasn't happy about that.

Ryan Uffens (56:13)
Yeah, that would definitely be a bummer. Definitely get you into some trouble. Anyway, of, there's one of them right there.

Jared Thomas (56:15)
Yeah.

no, I've been found.

Yeah,

this is, yeah, and then this is Valor and then this is Royal, this is Spider-Man. Yeah.

Ryan Uffens (56:31)
Spider-Man, Spider-Man's the one that got the tick?

Okay, good, he doesn't have it anymore. Cute kids, man. That's awesome. All right, get back in here. We got some stuff to do. Hey, let's just finish with this. Is there anything, like any advice you have for a new hunter that...

Jared Thomas (56:39)
Thanks, bro. They're pretty awesome. exactly.

I'm here.

Daddy.

Ryan Uffens (56:57)
That you would just, you know, part on them just to be able to just enjoy the hunting experience.

Jared Thomas (57:05)
Yeah, a couple things. One thing that just came to my mind as you're asking me the question, if you've to write it down or whatever, remember why you're getting into hunting. Because in a handful of years, you might forget that and might lose the fun in it and stuff like that. So remembering the why you're getting into it. There's been a few years scattered throughout where I have had to take a step back and try to remember.

why I got into this and why I love it and stuff like that because life's just crazy and you just lose that. Be patient. I know that probably goes without saying when it comes to hunting. It took me nine years to kill my first elk. Obviously I was a kid growing up and stuff but it still took me nine years to kill my first elk. And then just be a sponge. Ask.

just ask everybody. Most of the people I know, they'd be happy to give. I mean, people won't necessarily give spots out. no, everyone's got little tips and tricks and hard lessons that they've learned that they would share with you. And then what you do is you formulate your way that works for you. And don't be dead set in.

Ryan Uffens (58:11)
Yeah, don't ask for pins.

Jared Thomas (58:30)
your ways once you think you figured it out because if you think you got it figured out, the elk will humble you real quick.

Ryan Uffens (58:41)
Yeah.

Well, that's that's awesome advice. I appreciate it, Jared. Hey, guys, if you're not following him, go give him a follow on Instagram. Peaked out adventures. We'll put a link in the show notes if you have a hard time coming across it. But appreciate really appreciate your time and just like the thoughtful discussion just around like the mental health side of things and and everything else. It's it's been a joy. We'll have to do it again sometime.

Jared Thomas (59:09)
Absolutely, man. Look forward to it. Thanks for having me on.

Ryan Uffens (59:11)
Okay,

I appreciate it. Okay guys, hey, if you're listening and you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone, shoot them a link, whether it's if you're watching on YouTube or you're listening to it on Spotify or Apple or wherever it is that you're listening to it. Send it to somebody if you were able to pull something from this. Appreciate all the support that's out there and stay safe and God bless.