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The Archery Project
Welcome to The Archery Project where we sit down and have raw, unfiltered conversations discussing archery and bowhunting adventures in depth through the perspectives of unique individuals from all different backgrounds.
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The Archery Project
When To Get Aggressive Bowhunting Whitetail Deer
Some times you've got to get aggressive bowhunting whitetil deer and create your own luck. That's exactly what Joe did this year with his aggressive bow hunting tactics. In this episode of the show we sit down with Joe Kolaszewski a prior Recon Marine who transferred to the Navy and is currently serving as a Critical Flight Care Nurse, and discuss his bow hunting tactics, the reason he shoots an 80lb bow, how he involves his family in his hunting adventures and his plans for his upcoming Elk Season in Colorado.
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Hey everyone, thanks for joining me again on the show. This is episode three and today's guest is Joe Kaliszewski. Joe was born and raised in northern Wisconsin and got his start in archery at the age of five, where he grew up primarily bowhunting whitetail deer. He joined the Marine Corps in 2003 and served as a recon Marine and later transferred to the Navy in 2016, where he's currently serving as a critical care flight nurse here at Camp Lejeune. He has maintained his passion for bowhunting throughout his career 2016, where he's currently serving as a critical care flight nurse here at Camp Lejeune. He has maintained his passion for bow hunting throughout his career and has even passed his passion for hunting onto his wife and five of their six daughters. So today we're going to discuss Joe's aggressive approach for bow hunting, his reasons for hunting with an 80 pound bow, overcoming target panic as a hunter, and his expectations and prep for his first elk hunt in Colorado this year. Enjoy the episode, joe.
Joe Kolaszewski:What's going on, man?
Zakk Plocica:Appreciate you taking the time and sit down and talking to me.
Joe Kolaszewski:Absolutely.
Zakk Plocica:Thanks for having me Absolutely man, so I don't have a lot of I don't know you personally a lot. We've had interactions within the shop and you know JR pretty well.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, we hunt together, and he's been working on my bow for, I'd say, a couple of years now, actually quite a little while, yeah yeah, and I actually reached out to him and I was like man, you know, I want to talk to Joe he's. You know cause it was either Jr or maybe your wife tagged us on um social media that hunt you had in Virginia.
Zakk Plocica:And from there. I was kind of fascinated with it, man, because that was the video of. It is incredible and we'll talk about that shortly. But you know I want to start off with. You are a prior Marine recon Marine and then you transferred from the Marine Corps to the Navy to be a critical care flight nurse. That's right. So what was the? And to me this is just pretty interesting what was your reason from going from Marine Corps, recon Marine to that different career path?
Joe Kolaszewski:I'd say that the biggest kind of deciding factor was a deployment in Afghanistan. It was in 2010, 2011. We dealt with some casualties and I just kind of wanted to kind of switch the roles that I was providing no longer the warfighter, I wanted to provide that medical service to the warfighter. I wanted to provide that medical service to the warfighter from a different aspect. So that was probably the biggest reason and as far as the rationales to why with a big change, so when, as a critical care flight nurse, is that just?
Zakk Plocica:are you just providing that? When on deployments, or is that here stateside? You're every day's what you do.
Joe Kolaszewski:You're on a helicopter so so basically, you focus on the, the, you know, deployment side of it okay, um, as far as training, you know, we're constantly on whatever platform, being that we're casavac teams, so it's air, ground, amphibious platforms that we're transferring these patients. Um, so a lot of us focus on training back here, uh, in the states, and then once we we're down range as far as deployment goes, that's when we're we're actually transporting the actual, the patients and everything.
Zakk Plocica:Oh, okay, so it's not actually here Stateside, it's okay, it's deployment based so what's your deployment rotation like with this in this career versus the Marine Corps?
Joe Kolaszewski:It's definitely lessened. As far as just deployment rates, there's a few things just with how COVID kind of kicked off. We had to support some things in the States with that and then it was a few years I want to say maybe two years ago, three years ago when Operation Allied Freedom were welcoming all the Afghans coming back into the States. So we provided medical support for that mission bringing all of those individuals into the Quantico area. There was a few transports that we assisted with during that time frame, but they had civilians on site where we'd do a turnover with them, with whatever patients that we encountered.
Zakk Plocica:Oh wow. So everything you're doing, I mean it's all trauma-based right. For the most part yeah, and that was one of my questions that kind of led into like the bow hunting side of things. So, bow hunting is your primary your a hundred percent focus, absolutely.
Zakk Plocica:So, and that was kind of a question for me or that I had for you, is you know, when I, when I read critical care flight nurse, my instant thought was you know, stress, high stress, high stress, trauma, just a lot, uh, to take in all the time. Um, and I was curious as to, is you know, with all your extensive background with bowhunting, is that kind of your release?
Joe Kolaszewski:oh 100 percent um for me, you know, going out in the woods, just being in nature, is uh, you can't replace that with anything else, whether it's just watching the animals you don't necessarily have to, you know, harvest anything, it's just out there, you know, being in the wilderness, being with you know the Lord, and just studying the animals, and I think that makes us that much better as a hunter and just a man in general.
Zakk Plocica:Right, absolutely, and I think that makes us that much better as a hunter and just a man in general. Right Absolutely. I'm I, and for me, one of the things that I'm big on is if I get an opportunity to be on the woods. I mean, I'm all about it 100%, you know.
Joe Kolaszewski:I.
Zakk Plocica:I had times where I got caught up and it's like, oh, it's not a perfect day, it's not really, but you know, um, because with business and stuff it's hard to. It's like you, I mean, you have to really kind of maximize your time in the woods and kind of, you know, put some serious thought in when do I have time to, how can I make the most out of this? And that's what I try to do with my hunting, is, you know? Because getting out of the woods, you know, is I mean like like anybody man, it's just being out there. It's like you can feel this huge weight, absolutely it.
Joe Kolaszewski:It's like you can feel this huge weight, absolutely, it's 100% a release.
Joe Kolaszewski:Lately, I'd say within the past two to three years, I've kind of transitioned into going out with my family and just going out with buddies and for me I feel I'm at the point in my just hunting career where I get more joy seeing a friend, seeing my wife, seeing my children harvest something and, um, teaching them the ways of the, of nature, teaching them you know, sportsmanship, the right, the wrong you know. Just building that bond with my family, my friends is is super important to me.
Zakk Plocica:Right and I think very, very important um to pass on to the next generation right Cause I have three boys, but you have six girls. I did not realize how many kids you had, and on top of that you got all girls in the house. So how do you? I mean what's the ages, what's the the?
Joe Kolaszewski:so the youngest is going to be eight years old and the oldest will be 22.
Zakk Plocica:Oh, okay, so the, the oldest out of the house she is. She is Okay. So, and you said five of six of your daughters are into the hunting side of things. So was that kind of like a natural thing? Or was it like, hey, you know, you, you pushed them a little bit to it, they ended up taking a liking to it. Or were they kind of like they watched dad going out and they're like hey, I want to do that too.
Joe Kolaszewski:So the way I introduced my girls is I would never pressure them. If they wanted to come, they can come, and when they would come, it was you know almost a rucksack full of snacks, full of you know drinks, full of you know games.
Joe Kolaszewski:And we were just out there, to be out there and just spending time with each other. I'd say, for the first year or so we didn't bring any weapons. It was just, hey, let's just go sit out there. They didn't want to shoot anything, they just wanted to hang out. And then it got to the point where, like, hey, we kind of want to shoot something, let's get it on the action.
Joe Kolaszewski:That'd be kind of cool. So once that happened it was, I'll say, the middle child she, um, she harvested a turkey last year for the pirate classic competition here in north eastern north carolina, and I had my other daughter with at that point. She didn't want to hunt, she wasn't ready to shoot anything to harvest anything, um. So she did that and then all of a sudden she's like wait, dad, I think I want to do this now. So just slowly introducing them to it and again not pressuring them. If it's hey, the deer are going to do this now. So just slowly introducing them to it and again not pressuring them. If it's hey, the deer are going to be moving in 30 minutes, but they want to leave in 20 minutes, we'll pack up and leave. Yep, yeah.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, I have a similar approach, cause I've got three boys, um, and I've never, you know, I've, I've, I wanted them to get into it, um, but again, I never really, you know, force them into it because, it is. There's a lot of just it's. It's not always exciting, there's not always action. Um, and I took a similar approach and just got by going out in the woods and you know, but they wanted to take weapons, so we'd go out with a you know, a BB gun and we'd go sit in the woods and we'd wait for deer and nine times out of 10, there wasn't a deer coming by, but just getting them out there.
Zakk Plocica:And sometimes it was like we'd be out there for 15 minutes. Other times we'd be out there for a couple hours. It really was based on them. And I know one of the um, looking back a couple of years ago, one of the first experiences with my little guy, he um, he, he thinks he wants to go hunting Right, and we, we went out there and I made sure, like you, we had snacks we had drinks and we had an iPad.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yep, absolutely.
Zakk Plocica:We sat out in a box, blind, with Thomas the train on, you know, and ended up a deer coming. We had there was a little, a couple of does that came out and my oldest boy at the time, um, I think he was like he was maybe 10. Um, so this has been a couple of years back, but he ended up shooting a doe, uh, with a rifle, and you know, just together was awesome, but it was funny because we had, you know, they're got chips, thomas, the trains go in, and it was just, it was different, but it was awesome, um, to get them out there with me and us doing it together and just kind of spending that time together and then ultimately being successful. Yeah, you know, it was just fun, it was cool and it's really kind of piqued their interest even further.
Joe Kolaszewski:I mean, it's still, there's still snacks and you know I mean I bring my snacks too, so I'm guilty just as much as they are.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, but I think it's important, man. I mean, it's a great bonding opportunity, uh, but for you with six, is it like, hey, I'm going with dad this time, or we're going as a pack? There's six of us in a blind.
Joe Kolaszewski:Sometimes it is difficult where I feel I have to ensure I'm balancing it. But uh, having my wife also who hunts um it helps a lot as well.
Joe Kolaszewski:So you know, we'll have one daughter sit with my wife, one daughter will sit with me, or I'll have buddies come out and they'll, you know, sit with a another one of my daughters. So trying to balance that as best as I can, um, and then you know, they're young, they don't fully understand, you know celebrating a harvest for someone else yet. So if one shoots, you know a nice eight pointer, the other ones might be like. Well, I want to get an eight pointer.
Zakk Plocica:So then it's like well sweetie.
Joe Kolaszewski:I got one here, Like we got some pictures of them. We just got to find the right time to go out. So, they're super active too, so they're involved in a lot of sports. So just trying to balance that home life, the sports life and then also the outdoors by like side of it.
Zakk Plocica:It can be difficult at times for sure, it absolutely is, and that's even like planning hunting trips around family because the kids either want to go or they've got sporting events. Yeah, I'm with you, man. There's definitely a lot of juggling involved in doing all the stuff that you want to do but then incorporating and then doing the things that they're doing as well. It's a challenge, but it's fun.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, I never fully understood as a child growing up, you know my dad would take me out and um the amount of work that he would put in.
Joe Kolaszewski:I would overlook it because he would just set me up in this stand and all of a sudden I shoot it, you know, at a nice deer. And then it's like, oh, thanks, dad, and now I'm in his shoes and it's like, wow, I really appreciate everything that you stuck into me, you know being successful, because there's a lot of work that you got to put into hunting, especially when you're trying to, you know, set your children up or, you know, get your wife out on something. It's a lot of time and dedication that you have to do to it yeah, a lot of time in the field that they don't see.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, yeah, absolutely so. Your wife hunts too, so you got an entire family that hunts. We do. So was she? Whenever? Was she always a hunter?
Joe Kolaszewski:No. So um kind of introduced her to hunting and it just it took off Like she absolutely loves it. Um, starting off, I would sit with her and know we would talk through. You know, whatever the scenario is that we're you know in at that time. And then she got to the point where she hunts alone now, um, and she actually harvested a really good bear this year yeah, I saw the picture.
Joe Kolaszewski:Uh, that was awesome yeah, was she by herself when she shot it I was with her, um, I was in a saddle like a tree right behind her. Maybe you know 10 yards, um, but she's absolute champ. Like she was just stone cold statue Didn't move for like two and a half hours and that bear came out and she got them at seven yards. That's awesome. Yeah, she shooted with a rifle, she did. Yeah, she got him with the rifle.
Zakk Plocica:Is she a bow hunter too?
Joe Kolaszewski:She does. Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. Um, I I feel this year it was her first year bow hunting. I just I wanted to make sure she was fully ready. Um, so we were sitting in the same stand. I put a lock on, I was in the saddle behind her and, uh, I think she actually she made a video about this. Um, she, you know, panned back to me. I had a bunch of seed ticks all my my abdomen, so I'm like picking them off and she's making fun of me like all these invisible bugs. And then it was maybe an hour later. She starts picking them off her hands and then they're on her neck, her face, and this was her first time bow hunting, so I felt bad, but I mean, she probably had six, 700 bites on her from these seed ticks. Welcome to the game.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, was that here in Eastern North Carolina? It was the worst, it was bad. Yeah, what time of year was it? Was it early season?
Joe Kolaszewski:It was opening day of archery, that was like September 13th, 14th or something. Yeah, a hundred degrees, yeah, just miserable. It's great, babe, I promise. Yeah, it's so fun.
Zakk Plocica:Oh, that's awesome man. I um so. Do any of your daughters bow hunt too. Are they all still on rifles?
Joe Kolaszewski:So they all rifle hunt. They, um, they share, share. They have two bows that they share, so we'll just shoot in the backyard. We got a little range in the backyard. Um, they want to start bow hunting. But again, just like with my wife, I want to make sure, just like we did, you know growing up. You want to make sure that you can, you know, have an ethical kill, that you're fully ready for it.
Zakk Plocica:So it'll be a few years probably, before they start bow hunting yeah so my son, my oldest boy, gavin, he is 13, he'll be 14 this year and he's finally decided that he wants to do the bow hunting thing right, so he's killed him with rifles the last couple years, um, but I went to kentucky this year and I showed him pictures and showed him all the deer and he's like, dude, I want to go to kentucky.
Zakk Plocica:I'm gonna say, well, if you're going to kentucky, we bow hunt Kentucky. Yeah, I mean, you know I go during bow season, yep. Um, he's like I want to get in the bow game. I'm like, let's do it, man. So we're going to build him out of bow. Uh, I think I'm going to build him, uh, one of the Hoyt cobalts.
Joe Kolaszewski:Okay.
Zakk Plocica:So it looks like a glove. That's perfect. He'll outgrow it in probably two years, yeah uh, but it's a. It's lightweight. It's a great bow that he can. We can set it at 45 pounds at his draw length, build some arrows and get him set up. But I'm gonna get him in a saddle that's awesome so I'm I know you're a big saddle guy.
Zakk Plocica:Yes, um, I enjoy both. I hunt out of a lock on and a saddle, but as far as for me, like safety goes, I really feel like saddle is incredibly safe. I'm comfortable with him in a saddle, cause we go and climb trees now and I've got him up in it. I just feel like he's really safe in it.
Joe Kolaszewski:Hands down, like if you use the saddle properly, if you're always using your lineman, once you get set up on your base, your lineman. Once you get set up on your base, your lineman's still attached. You hook your tether up. At no point are you ever disconnected from that safety harness right.
Zakk Plocica:Um, I feel it's the safest way to hunt. Yes, like hands down, absolutely so, that was one of our things. So I've got him his own little. So he's got he, we're gonna do his bow build right. He's got his own little, pack out his saddle and stuff and so we're starting early. Because I told him I'm like listen, man, like you have gotta be you know.
Zakk Plocica:I'm not going to take you if you're. You haven't put in the effort, um, prior to going right. I'm just not. I just not not within. Ethically, I just couldn't allow it, um. So we got, you know, we got our 3d stuff we're going to be doing this year. So he'll be out there shooting that Um and he'll be climbing trees all summer long, you know, getting ready to go, um, and hopefully we'll be able to go together to Kentucky this year and more than anything, I just want to get him on a deer there.
Joe Kolaszewski:Oh, for sure that's. It's crazy how that transition happens. When you get your kids involved. It's no longer about us, right? It's about what how hard can I work and what can I do to make them successful? And when they are, I'm telling you it's like a tear jerking moment for me, it's wild, it's like I'm trying to hold these tears back, but, dude, I'm just going to let them go, cause this is awesome.
Zakk Plocica:Absolutely, man and I. One thing too like for me is my kids. I've never um, even my little guy, right. So if we've ever killed anything we brought home, I've never hid anything from them. Yeah, the entire process, um, but I've always made sure that they're respectful with whatever they do. Like my oldest boy, he loves go go squirrel hunting. Okay, right, I'm like dude. You realize, whatever you shoot, we're eating, we're utilizing this thing. You're not just going to go out and kill stuff. Absolutely um and same thing with same thing with my little guy.
Zakk Plocica:My little guy's all about he wants to kill stuff. But I'm like dude, if you, we go out and you shoot something, you're, you're part of this, you're going to process it, you're going to help order it up. You know there's, you're not just going to that on. And, like you said, the ethics, the ethical side of things, man, I mean.
Zakk Plocica:I see a lot of people that forget that Especially. You know, as a kid I remember being a kid I wouldn't go out and just shoot things oh absolutely yeah, and I didn't think anything more about it. But as I've gotten older, I'm like we're not doing that, guys. We're going to actually, you know, be respectful for whatever we're shooting, and that's why I'm so big on, too Like you're. You're using a specific weapon. You got to practice with it 100%, be proficient with it. We're not just going to go out there and wing it.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yep, so yeah, we actually uh just for saddle hunting in general.
Joe Kolaszewski:I don't have any large trees in my backyard so I went to like or local uh lumber yard and bought a telephone pole and sank the telephone pole in my backyard just to. You know those different shot angles that you know everyone's like. Oh, it's so super easy to saddle hunt, it's not, it ain't. You know, your strong side shots are good, but that's not always going to be the case when a deer presents a shot, or whatever animal you are hunting so you're, you're climbing up on um telephone poles.
Zakk Plocica:Have you had any issues?
Joe Kolaszewski:because they're so hard, they're slick no, uh, so I don't climb up high. Okay, I'll set my base maybe a foot off the ground, gotcha that makes sense, it's just solely to practice those different angles and you just go through my shot sequence when I'm in the saddle and you know maneuvering through it right, and the thing I do like about the saddle man is the opportunity that it does give you, though.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, with one tree selection, because you can climb just about anything you want.
Joe Kolaszewski:There's not a tree out there that you can't climb, in my opinion, right, um, I'm with you and what it allows me, you know I used to use like a climber summit something and, um, you're always climbing straight trees, right, find a pine tree and you'll be set with the saddle. You don't. You can stay away from the pine tree so you're not sticking out like a sore thumb. You look like a limb branching off that tree.
Zakk Plocica:Whenever you go for tree selection, are you someone that looks to try to get up in canopy and really disappear into it? Or I mean, how do you go about with tree selection?
Joe Kolaszewski:So it all depends it's going to be varying kind of the geographical location.
Joe Kolaszewski:In eastern North Carolina. I try to get as high as possible because it is a lot of pines Right. So I try to get to the. You know the canopy level, um, but anything else as far as whether it's you know, virginia, kentucky, I'll try to find something that has, you know, five, six different trees growing. You know, disappear in a set up in the middle and you don't have to go high at that place either. You know, 10, 15 feet is all you need which I'm about, that.
Zakk Plocica:I like staying, if I can get away with that 10 to 15 foot level, I'm all about it for sure, and I really really like getting into something that I almost have to cut myself into if that makes sense. So that, um, because I'm this year in Kentucky, man like I got busted multiple times, you know, when I thought I had the opportunity and I had a really good opportunity on a big 10 point deer and I blew it. Man, like it was. He was seven yards from me and I was like, oh, this is my opportunity, I go to get a full and he, right when I get to anchor, he busts me and he bounces out of there. Oh, man, and looking at it, it was. I mean, I was 12 feet in the ground and I just didn't have enough back cover like I thought I did from the position and he came out in the worst possible position.
Joe Kolaszewski:And they always do. Which is they're notorious? They always do.
Zakk Plocica:You know, I'm like if this thing and all the other ones I saw that morning, he had come out on my strong side where I had a good back cover, everything was good. But this dude, the big guy, did not, man, and I was like, well, there you go. Got to be smarter next time. But yeah, I really enjoy the saddle side of things for one. I personally feel safe in it, um, and I like the. Even when I hunt in a lock on, I use a saddle. Okay, I set up the same way because I liked the ability that hybrid setup right, I could sit down or I could turn around and use like a, you know, a platform and just stand there facing the tree. It gives you the best of both worlds.
Joe Kolaszewski:And that was the problem I'd run into hunting out of a lock on is, you know, your backside shot. It's tough, you know, and I found myself at times like I'm going to stand up on my seat wearing a safety harness, but still it's, it wasn't safe.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, so it's kind of it's. It wasn't safe that big yeah.
Joe Kolaszewski:So it's kind of, it's the lock on is safe, but it doesn't give you the opportunities that a saddle will give you right, I feel 360 degrees.
Zakk Plocica:I can shoot anywhere when I'm hunting out of a saddle yeah, yep, I agree, man, and, like I said, I have, I have a. I like uh gear and equipment. I for some reason love um platforms and I love packs. Yeah, I mean, I don't know why, but I do. I've got, so I've got a handful of platforms, um, you know, I run a uh, the XOP, the retrograde and the cold world, uh for hang ons, uh, and then I've got a trophy line on X, um, just platform that I use, use and I really like those three and kind of. You know, depending on what I'm feeling for the day or where I'm at, I'll determine which platform I'll use. But, man, I like having the options and I like the versatility that just the saddle side of things provides. I think there's just you can do whatever you want wherever you want.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, and especially here it's so thick. Yeah, so I'm a big nerd when it comes to sticks. Oh, okay, so yeah, I've built custom sticks. I've switched pieces out on certain sticks and this year I finally I broke down and got the tethered one sticks.
Zakk Plocica:That's what I got.
Joe Kolaszewski:But then I had my dad. He's pretty savvy with a sewing machine, so he took some tubular nylon and he made a two-step eighter. So I have three sticks and I can get about 25, you know, 30 feet with the three sticks and then having those two-step eighters, which is is perfect, Right.
Zakk Plocica:So I have a little bit different approach when it comes to the eighter. Um, so I I typically run two of the tethered one sticks. I also have the trophy line sticks, which I like. They're a little bit heavier but they bite. They work really really well. I've got some Hawk Heliums, but I really am a big fan of the tethered one stick, just because they're so light. Yeah, but I use a deployable ater is what I call it, but it stays attached to my bino harness.
Joe Kolaszewski:Okay.
Zakk Plocica:And what it is is. It's am steel that's fish eyed.
Joe Kolaszewski:Okay.
Zakk Plocica:And it's got the fish eye and I'll put it on my versa button and I'll step up with each step. Okay, that's good, just so because, um, it's just, it's, it's always there and I don't have anything else hang.
Zakk Plocica:I'm, I'm a big on minimalist yeah, I don't like anything extra hanging off that it would get hung up on um. So that's kind of what I've gone to. Uh, I've never run a two-step eighter before but I know a ton of dudes that do that really like it, and I know you can get way higher that way yeah, but that's what's cool about saddle hunting too, though, is like what you just explained.
Joe Kolaszewski:It's based off the creativity. You can go as far as you want with it absolutely.
Zakk Plocica:There's no wrong way to do. That's right. Yeah, that's right. So yeah, big fan of it, man, so sure you do you only bow hunt.
Joe Kolaszewski:So this year was the first year where I strictly only bow hunted. Rifle hunted in the past. It just I enjoy it, but I don't enjoy it like I enjoy bow hunting. It's different man. It's a game changer when it comes to bow hunting. I'm not saying rifle hunting isn't as challenging, oh right, right, right. But when you can take a shot, you know 200, 300 yards, whatever you're comfortable with shooting, and then with a bow I mean you're maxing Eastern North Carolina maybe 35, 40 yards.
Joe Kolaszewski:On a good day, yeah, and then you know, if you go, you know Virginia, kentucky or something, maybe a 50, 60-yard shot on, you know conditions are good to take that shot type thing. So conditions are good to take that shot type thing. So it's just the challenges. There You're. It's a more personal, up close with the animal.
Zakk Plocica:It is, and that's one that's the reason I'm such a band a fan of bow hunting is. I like so when, whenever my my thought on bow hunting is, I want it to be as close as possible. I don't want to and I'm, I'm, I'm a very patient. I've become almost overly patient at times as well when it comes to taking a shot which is kind of blown some opportunities because it was there and I let it pass, um, but I like it almost like a chip shot man, I like it to be, I want it to be where I'm 100 confident in it and I, um, I like everything close if I can shoot everything at seven yards oh yeah, that's why I'm about it and I just I.
Joe Kolaszewski:that's one of the things I like everything close, if I can shoot everything at seven yards.
Zakk Plocica:that's why I'm about it and I just that's one of the things I like about bow hunting the challenge, how everything's got to be right, the wind, your scent, your access, the way you hung your stand, all of it. Man, I love the challenge that it presents. You know, with a bow, yeah.
Joe Kolaszewski:I mean I look at it as you're in that deer's backyard with a bow. Yeah, I mean I look at it as you're in that deer's backyard. If you were to walk into your house and your your couch is three inches to the left, you're going to notice it. So with bow hunting you got to approach it kind of the same way. Like you can't go in there, clear a bunch of lanes, like you could with a rifle, you know then they step out 300 yards and they don't really know what's going on. But with bow hunting you're up close and personal. So you have to be a extremely proficient and professional when it comes to you know how you're going about if you want to harvest a nice animal absolutely.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, you've got to uh coming out on top too. I mean it feels because you have to put in that much effort.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, you know, and there's a and I like the, I like the thought of strategy oh yeah that I, I put into or coming up with a game plan, and before, before I even get in the woods, I'm like I got it laid out. This is how I'm going to access the woods, based off the wind, um, and I, I just like everything that goes into it because, ultimately, when you end up successful, it's even that much better it's. It doesn't feel so much like luck, it feels like I should, you know, put in the time I came up with the strategy in order to execute on this for sure. So, yeah, I love it, man, it's, it's a challenge. I think this year I'm going to play with a trad bow a little bit too, okay, um, just something different. You know, I see guys like Joe Long and Ruben and those guys man, um, they had a really, they had really good years this year with the traditional bow, and I look at it. It too, because all my shots here in north carolina have been like 12 to 15 yards, yeah.
Zakk Plocica:so I'm like, oh man, let me, let me make this even harder than I should and try that way if I, if I screw it up, I can do to trad bow yep, it was the bow.
Joe Kolaszewski:It was the bow, yeah. So yeah, I mean I haven't gone down that path yet. Um, I don't know if I will. I just I really enjoy the compound, I enjoy the opportunities that it gives me, just with the technology that they have nowadays, I'm just I guess I'm not that that dedicated yet to go with a traditional bow.
Zakk Plocica:Man, I don't know, I think I love, I love a compound bow too, man, I love the technology, I love the energy they put out, I love shooting them far for fun. Um, so I just, I just like bows man. I just once I picked one up man, it was a game changer for me, um, and I just kind of liked to dabble in everything and the trad side I hadn't. I never really. I had messed with it a little bit but I never really got into it. And then I talked more to guys like Joe and you know I and Ruben and those guys, and it just intrigued me more and more. So it's something else to throw in there and just get a shot man and see Um, but it's definitely uh, it's, it's challenging.
Joe Kolaszewski:I can only imagine. I've never tried it, Um, and I don't know if if I'm ready for it. Cause that, that step up in the challenge level.
Zakk Plocica:Oh you would be, you would just. It'd just be a different rabbit hole for you.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, and that's yeah. That's what I'm you. You're a little bit different than a lot of the, the customers that get.
Zakk Plocica:We get through and we get a lot of them, but you shoot an 80 pound bow and, to be exact, an 87 pound bow, yeah, so there's going to be some uh discussion on this, yeah so I'm a big fan of 80 pound bows. Uh, I have, I have a shorter draw length, um, and I think if you can shoot it, why not?
Joe Kolaszewski:Especially if you can shoot it comfortably Um.
Zakk Plocica:so what's kind of your reason for going that heavy poundage?
Joe Kolaszewski:route. So I like shooting a heavier arrow and when I say to me it's a heavy arrow. It's about a 550 grain arrow. Um, I'm not a speed freak by any means. I used to be when I was younger. Um, you know, shooting super light arrows just trying to get as much out of it, but with that that heavy poundage at around 87 pounds. With the 550 grain arrow I think it's shooting right around like two 89 to 90 for feet per second. What's your draw length? Uh, 29 and a half.
Zakk Plocica:Okay, yeah, that's screaming fast and it's quiet.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yep, that's the biggest thing is I want a quiet bow that's super efficient and, like you said, if, if I can pull it and I can pull it comfortably, and like I said I'll, I'll try crazy positions, I turkey hunt with it. So I'm sitting, I'm in the saddle, whatever it is. You know I never shoot the same when it comes to like my position. I always try to change it up and challenge myself to see okay, can I do it this way, can I do it that way, whether it's sitting, kneeling, standing, you know. So I'm comfortable doing that and I'll continue doing that until I can no longer, you know, pull that bow back at that poundage.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, I'm with you on that, man. Um, why not if you can? Yeah, yeah.
Joe Kolaszewski:And I'm not knocking on guys who you know shoot 60, shoot 70. Um, and honestly I don't bow hunting a lot of colder climates. So maybe if I was bow hunting, say where I grew up, northern Wisconsin, I may not shoot 87 pounds because it's going to be a lot more difficult to pull that when it's cold, right? So maybe bump it down to 75, whatever.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, that makes sense, man. I mean, I think a lot of people really knock stuff before they even consider a reason to look at it. And I'm not saying 80-pound bows are for everybody, because they're definitely not, and that. We know dudes, I know old guys. Mr Bobby, he's been hunting forever and he shoots like 45 or 50 pounds and he absolutely kills good deer every year.
Joe Kolaszewski:I mean speed doesn't kill its accuracy.
Zakk Plocica:Absolutely, absolutely right, yeah and that's what people forget, though, too. With a bow is, you know, shot placement. You know the goal is a good, clean shot. So that's not just packing on a bunch of poundage on a bow, shooting a heavy arrow and put it wherever you want, the goal is still shot placement. Yeah, i's not just packing on a bunch of poundage on a bow, shooting a heavy arrow, and put it wherever you want, the goal is still shot placement, yeah.
Joe Kolaszewski:I'm not the guy where it's like I'm going to bust through a shoulder. I'm not trying to take those marginal shots. Um, I actually won't take a shot unless it's a clean, ethical shot that presents itself. So I know there's a lot of guys out there that you know they're talking about. You know these certain broadheads are. They're bone crushers and it's like that's great. I mean I encourage you guys to do that if that's what you want. Like you said it's you can't knock it until you try it, type thing. So I won't knock any bow hunter for whatever they're shooting. It's whatever you're comfortable with and whatever you can shoot proficiently.
Zakk Plocica:That's it. That's a great thing about archery and bow hunting man. There's so many options out there. There's so many great brands too oh yeah when it comes to bows, I mean all the top brands now are awesome, yeah, um, so I mean you really can't get hung up on one brand in my opinion. Uh, and you know, I mean in the efficiency and the energy that these bows have now with the cam systems, um, I mean I mean you're getting crazy speeds and energy out of even you know lighter poundage bows, yeah, yeah.
Joe Kolaszewski:I would say uh, shoot every bow before you make a purchase. Shoot everyone, yep, don't get sold on. Oh hey, I want to Hoyt, like try the Matthews, try the PSE, try the prime, try every bow out there. It's what bow you shoot the best and what feels the best you know while you're shooting it? Absolutely, and what feels the best you know while you're shooting it.
Zakk Plocica:Absolutely, absolutely, because they do change every year, man. Um, you know, some years some bows feel better than others, and you know, I've never been, you know, a brand, uh, loyal individual, especially with the bow side of things, and that's.
Zakk Plocica:That's the thing about our shop too, and that's the reason I started to shop the way we did is because I want people to come in and have options and you know, if you you want the Matthews bow, we've got the Matthews bow, but if you want the PSE, the prime, the bow tech, we carry those too, because you know they they make incredible bows, man, and I think, um, people should be less caught up on what everyone else is shooting and focus on what feels good for them and kind of what their end goal is too. Absolutely, you know our target guy, you, a bow hunter, your saddle hunter, your ground hunter. I mean, take all those things in consideration before making your bow purchase. Yeah, for sure. So you had a really successful year in Virginia this year. I did.
Zakk Plocica:So this was like we hit on it a little bit earlier, but this was cool man, um, your, I think it was. Like I said, I think it was Jr or somebody that told me about it. Show me the video. I think I saw it after the fact, uh, your wife had put it up on social media or something too. Um, but you were in Virginia and you shot a nice buck on the ground and so you have to paint this picture because it was raining. Yep, it was. I mean, the video was awesome and you were at full draw. What looked like ever.
Joe Kolaszewski:I would say it was. It was maybe a minute, two minutes, but it felt really long.
Zakk Plocica:I mean, yeah, so, so let's, let's start from the beginning. How did you get on this deer?
Joe Kolaszewski:So my best friend lives up in Virginia and um, just kind of the backstory is how we captured the video as well. Previously we'd always meet up in September, October, Hunt, Virginia, on his farm, and this year he kind of started this business, this company Execute. So he's like, hey, let's try to get some video footage and we just had our cell phones. We don't have fancy cameras.
Joe Kolaszewski:Brand new to the game as far as videoing. So we did that. Both side of the hunters were set up. You know it started raining um, the wind picked up really strong and we're sitting there, maybe a couple hours pass and we see what appears to be a pretty mature white tail walking through the pasture. So I'm looking at him and we kind of come up with a game plan like hey man the wind's in our favor, it's raining.
Joe Kolaszewski:It's going to mask our movement, our sound. Let's try to be aggressive and make a move on this deer. We do it all the time with turkey hunting. We're super aggressive. Why not try it with whitetail? You know the worst thing that happens is we blow the?
Joe Kolaszewski:hunt, but he's not coming to us, so we climb down, kind of strategize, as far as you know. You go this way, I'll go this way. And we started moving on this deer and at one point I had lost visual on him. He had pushed up, you know, came into some defilade and he just bedded down right there. So, mike, he was maybe 100, 150 yards behind me, to uh, to the right, and he still had eyes on him. So we just, you know, picked up our phones and we started communicating back and forth.
Joe Kolaszewski:So he tells me hey this is where the deer's at. I try to slowly move, maneuvering on him and I spot the horns and this the whole time. Mike can see the entire thing, so he's videoing it and just slowly stalking up on this deer and I was surprised how close I was able to get to this deer. But in order to get a shot on that deer, and he was bedded.
Joe Kolaszewski:A lot of people are like oh, how do you shoot a bedded deer? I look at as well. Try stalking on any animal, especially a whitetail in his backyard. Like it's a challenge, like it's the ultimate challenge in my opinion.
Joe Kolaszewski:So I was stalking it. Maybe 35, 40 yards is when I pulled my bow back and just slowly started maneuvering in on him and got within, I'd say, about 10 to 8 yards. It was pretty close and I was able to get a shot off. It was a great shot. He ran maybe 35 yards and then that was it. He expired right there.
Zakk Plocica:The video is incredible on it because it's it's off of a distance, your buddy's recording. I mean it's raining, you can see the wind blowing, I mean, and then you're at full draw and you're creeping up on this thing and he's bedded down on a fence line, isn't he?
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, yep.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, from what I remember, down on a fence line, a cattle fence a lot of people like, oh, it's a farm.
Joe Kolaszewski:Oh, no, no cattle. Yeah, it was a cattle fence.
Zakk Plocica:Yes, just so everyone's clear, it was a cattle fence, yes, um, but he's bedded down on that fence row and then it's you coming up from behind him, yeah, um, and at full draw, and creeping up on this thing, and you get so close, man, man, and then get your shot off and it's just, it's awesome, uh. But the thing I love about that, though, is, you know, I think we're all guilty of it you look at the weather. You're like, oh, it's going to rain, I'm not going to go out, I'm going to skip this day, right. But the fact that you took and created an opportunity out of something that might not have been ideal and kind of almost created your own luck, right, you went through, you got on something and you were able to push the pace and create that opportunity.
Zakk Plocica:I love that, man, because that's, in my opinion, that's real hunting. You know, out there, not just sitting and waiting and hoping to get lucky that something's going to walk under you. You know, you guys spotted something, you made the move, and then you executed. It came out successful. I mean, it doesn't get any better than that.
Joe Kolaszewski:It was actually maybe three days later. We almost replicated that hunt. So again we're up in this tree. We're in the corner of a bean field. We had watched this nice deer come out, you know, a few nights prior, and we're hoping that he's going to come out there. Same thing it was raining and I took a nap. I was like like, I need a nap, like we're going hard for like five, six days at this point uh I wake up and mike's like, hey, nice, buck out there.
Joe Kolaszewski:I was like no, it's not that nice. So I throw my bionics. I'm like that's a good deer. It was about 140 inch deer. So I look at mike. I'm like dude, this deer is not moving. We got to do something. Let's try it. Let's just be aggressive again. What's the worst? That happens, we blow the deer. Okay, so climb down. You know, run around. It was about a three-quarter mile run. There was a bean field, then a finger and then the edge of the bean field, where he was at, got within maybe 15 yards of this deer, I 15 yards of this deer. I didn't know where he was exactly. But again, mike and I were talking and he's like hey, dude, like I'm pretty sure you're like on top of him.
Joe Kolaszewski:I was like, no, I don't think I am man. But then the wind died, the rain died, so it was really hard to do anything. I was almost scared to move, because using those elements to your advantage is huge when you try to be aggressive when it comes to, you know, any type of stalk.
Zakk Plocica:So we ended up blowing that hunt.
Joe Kolaszewski:But again, if you're not going to be aggressive and if, like you said, you're just going to sit there, you may not get a chance Right. Make the most out of the opportunity you have, 100%, yeah.
Zakk Plocica:I love that man Cause and I always, when I think hunting, you know, I never think, and this is me personally. The guy you know just going and sitting in a blind and just waiting, or going, sitting and waiting, it's going out and actively hunting. I always love the thought of it. Um, you know, uh, I have some other buddies that have some really great stories like that, where you know a deer comes out, he's way off, and then you take and you strategize, you come up with these, you know a game plan and you move on him versus waiting for him to come to you. I mean, that's the ultimate bow hunting experience.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, yeah it doesn't get any better than that. So, and that was in Virginia, that was Virginia. Yeah, dude, it was. The video is awesome. So you'll have to go to your wife's cause you're not on social, but I'm not. Your wife is Um, and we'll. We'll drop the what I can't remember what her, what was her? Tiktok.
Joe Kolaszewski:It's a Elizabeth B outdoors Elizabeth.
Zakk Plocica:B outdoors. You'll have to go check it out. The video's up there. It's already got, like you said, like 2 million views.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, some crazy like that.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah it's, it's an awesome video. Uh, I mean in the fact too, which is cool was shooting 87 pound bow. Yeah, you're at full draw for like a minute creeping up on this thing. I mean the whole scenario. I mean it's windy, it's rain. It's just an awesome video. I encourage you guys to go check it out. It's definitely cool.
Joe Kolaszewski:I think the best part of the video is at the release. You can see the water from the rain like being coming off the bow and the arrow. Like it was pretty cool.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, it was awesome, man. I mean a good clean shot too. I mean it doesn't. That's like one of those stories that you can tell over and over again yeah.
Zakk Plocica:Definitely Awesome man. So, jumping back, you and this is one of the things I asked you to send me over a little bio on yourself, a little bit of information on you, and you, like, you said you started, uh, the art in the archery game at age five and so you have a lot of experience with it. Um, but you said that you suffered from target panic as a hunter, which you ended up actually quitting bow hunting for a short period of time because it was so bad, it was terrible. So what? Do you have any idea? What really led to your target panic? And how did you, how were you able to overcome it and get you know, get back into the bow hunting game, you know, without being, you know, constantly that nightmare on your shoulder?
Joe Kolaszewski:years ago when I got this issue, I would pull back and I'd go through my shot sequence and I would get stuck like three to four inches below my aiming point. There was nothing I could do, man at all, to bring that shot up. I would try leaning back. I'd, you know, tweak my arms. I would try everything. I thought, well, maybe it's my vision, so I wouldn't got an eye exam, like, hey, your eyes are good, like nothing's wrong. So something consciously was going on that I could not figure out.
Zakk Plocica:And it got to the point where I was embarrassed to shoot my bow with my buddies because you know your capability, you know you, you know all your experience, like I know how to shoot a bow. Yeah, what's happening?
Joe Kolaszewski:like I was going. I went from what I thought was a decent shot to you know freaking out, and it got to the point where I became a you know a trigger puncher. I'd hold three inches low, I'd torque my bow up real quick and just punch my trigger.
Joe Kolaszewski:And I didn't really know where my arrow was going to go. You know 50% of the time it would hit where I was going. You know the other 50% it would be off. So I got out of bow hunting. I quit bow hunting probably for two years, just quit shooting my bow in general, like I wouldn't accept it. I didn't want to, you know, wound any animals like I. Just I couldn't do it.
Joe Kolaszewski:Um, so I started, you know, looking through uh, like social media on youtube and a lot of guys. They started talking about target panic. So I was like target panic, what is this? And it was, uh, I think Jason Bomar. He had a really good clip on it. He's like every bow hunter or every just archer at some point will develop some point or some type of target panic. So he's talking through it and it's like, man, that's me, that's 100% me, but it's not just me that has this issue, me, and but it's not just me that has this issue. So I started talking to my dad, my buddies, and they're like, ah, no, I really don't have that. And I was like, well, okay, well, maybe something is wrong with me.
Joe Kolaszewski:So I started just messing with releases and I got, uh, it was um, the back strap which is attention activated um. So you know, you pull back, it was a wrist strap. You hit the trigger on there and then it goes into the shot process of, you know, tension activated through your back, which it definitely helped. It got me back into the game. I was excited to shoot, I was excited to hunt. But the only issue that I had is I was in Virginia again and hunting on Quantico, a nice eight pointer comes out and I hadn't been shooting my bow maybe three weeks or so. So I pulled back, hit the safety, start pulling through and my shot would not break, it would not go off. So internally, components of the release itself must've just kind of been gummed up and I was pulling and pulling and pulling. I just pulled real hard and I shot over the deer. So I'm thinking like, well, this isn't going to work. Um, I got to figure something else out.
Joe Kolaszewski:So then I went to the hinge, started shooting the hinge. I actually came here. It was when, um, when Cody was here and he, you know, he was helping me out through the shot process and everything, and he brought up Joel Turner. So I was like, oh, joel Turner, like I'll check him out. And then, you know, he goes in way in depth, which was awesome, just talking about the subconscious, the conscious mind and everything. So I started shooting a hinge and I went to a button and then now actually I went back to the back strap, but without the tension. And what I did is I have a lot of travel in my trigger.
Joe Kolaszewski:You know a lot of guys they'll shoot like a hot trigger, like I mean, you blow on it and that thing goes off and that right there tells me like yeah, they experienced some type of target panic. They just don't know. So I have a lot of travel in my trigger. So I walk, work through my shot sequence. You know there's 10 different steps that I'll say in my mind like this is what I'm doing, you know, going through everything, and then when I go to break the shot, I'll just slowly be squeezing and it will surprise me. It still surprises me, but I'm able to back off if I have to.
Zakk Plocica:Um, so just having that play in my trigger has definitely helped me a lot, almost like a two-stage trigger where you take up the tension, the, the slack in it, get to the back wall and just finish the shot. Yeah, so that's what I like too, man. So even in my thumb buttons and I'm notorious for punching a trigger, I'll admit it- yeah, it's tough, I mean it is, and if you go to any of our social media stuff, there's dudes that hammer me for it.
Zakk Plocica:But you know it is what. It is something I'm still working through, but one of the things that has helped me is, like you, I like to be able to take the slack up in whatever type of release I'm shooting and get to that almost that breaking point, and then finish the shot pulling through, because I too, I don't like a trigger where you touch it and it just goes off. It's terrible. It is I. I I've not, I can't shoot them good for one and, uh, I've just never had good luck with them. But I like to. Where there's just enough slack, I can feel that I'm on it, I'm riding it to the back wall and then I can finish that shot with whatever type of release I'm using, Because I've gone back and forth this year too Because, like you, I like something attached to my wrist for hunting. But I shoot a thumb button better, a handheld release better. I'm just more consistent with it. So it's something I'm still playing with.
Zakk Plocica:Uh, just because you know I, I want to go back to the wrist release just simply for that security reason it's attached to me, I can fold it up into my shirt and it's not flapping around. Uh, and you know, I run a bino harness and if I do run a handheld I stick it in there. But I've bent over before and my handhelds laying on the ground.
Zakk Plocica:Luckily I find it yeah. But me and Joey were shooting a video for for something just at the house and you know I um, I had a release that I thought I lost but I had stuck in my pocket I had to go get. It was just a disaster. So something secured to me is especially with I'm out in the field. I want it attached.
Joe Kolaszewski:So with the button, um, I was shooting some, hunting for some pigs, and um, I had a button and I would attach it to my D loop, but my mind would not allow me to be okay with that.
Zakk Plocica:Leaving it there.
Joe Kolaszewski:I was like this thing's going to fall, yep, and if it falls like I'm not going to be able to, you know, take a shot. So it was. It was really hard for me. With the button, I can shoot them well, but, like you said, I like having it physically attached to my wrist. Yeah.
Zakk Plocica:It's one of those things you got to kind of weigh the pros and cons right. It's like you know I'm a little bit. Maybe I'm a little bit more accurate with a handheld, but I like the security of a wrist Maybe. I just need to spend more time behind it.
Joe Kolaszewski:I mean and I think that's what it comes down to too is getting those reps in. That's it. You know, if it's 10 arrows, if it's 20, 30 arrows, whatever it is, but trying to be consistent in shooting every day and not just going in your backyard or going to the range and shooting. You know, what I like to do is I'll incorporate like a workout into it. I'll do like a circuit kind of Metcon style workout and then incorporate, you know five shots and go back to the circuit, five shots. So you know five shots and go back to the circuit five shots. So you know, getting that heart rate up, you know, and just being comfortable, not being comfortable, right, no?
Zakk Plocica:I'm with you on that, and it makes it more fun too.
Joe Kolaszewski:Oh yeah absolutely.
Zakk Plocica:You get a little bit of a break, you get to do something in between, get your reps in, you know, get your workout in and shoot your butt at the same time. I mean it's, I'm with you, I enjoy it and I think it is important that you know you do challenge yourself, because a lot of us love to just go out and shoot really good on a flat range, like I'm shooting so good.
Zakk Plocica:But you know you forget, like, oh, I'm not going to be on my feeding, my footing is not going to be perfect. You know I'm going to be up in a tree, the angle is going to be weird, there's probably going to be branches around me. There's a lot of things to consider. So I think recreating those scenarios best you can is for sure. It just makes you a better hunter, better bow hunter at least. So you hunt, pretty much bow hunt, year round.
Zakk Plocica:You said I do so you do white tail pig bear, turkey that's right.
Joe Kolaszewski:All of it with a bow, all of it with the bow, Um with doing that it just. I know a lot of guys. You know they'll put their bow up or you know, hey, season's a month away for whitetail or something. Now they'll start shooting. It keeps me active, it keeps me accountable for, you know, staying consistent with my shots and um to be in the woods year round like you can't beat that Right.
Zakk Plocica:So are you running? Whenever you're hunting all these different animals? You're running the same bow, same arrow setup for all of them.
Joe Kolaszewski:I do. Um, I won't run the same broadheads and it's not for any particular reason. I just really I'm kind of a nerd when it comes to broadheads and I just I like to experiment with you know with different weights when it comes to your FOCs and stuff and just an expandable vice a fixed blade, a three blade or a single bevel.
Zakk Plocica:So if you look at my quiver, there's four arrows in there.
Joe Kolaszewski:There's four different broadheads.
Zakk Plocica:Do you have a preference over fixed over mechanical, based off species?
Joe Kolaszewski:that you're hunting. I will say one thing that I've noticed with the single bevels I've shot um I think it was the Magnus I've shot um some of the grizzly sticks, the blood trail isn't as good when it comes to, even if it's a single bevel with, like some bleeders on there, or um mechanicals.
Joe Kolaszewski:I feel if you have a a well-placed shot with a mechanical, you're going to get a great blood trail. But if you hit kind of a marginal shot with a mechanical you might be in a sticky situation. But right now I currently run all mechanicals yeah.
Zakk Plocica:So I had the same thing and I. So I shot the Strickland Helix for a little while back before the company changed ownership, I think and I had really really good luck with that broadhead, with the flight on it for one, and I have best luck with a fixed blade broadhead when I'm shooting under 290 feet per second as far as tuning goes, so mid two eighties, they shoot really well for me. But I had the same issue as well was the blood trail. So the uh penetration. It was phenomenal. Anything I shot it zipped right through it. But it's almost like that wound channel would close up really quick and I wouldn't get this.
Zakk Plocica:The blood, yeah, that I wanted to, especially here eastern north carolina super thick and it's. If you lose blood, I mean it's, it's tough, it's hard to track the animal because it is so thick, it is so green, yeah, um. So that was my biggest issue. But they flew and the penetration on them was like untouchable, yeah, like it was. It was awesome, but I just didn't get the blood that I wanted, um, especially being here in eastern north carolina. So majority of the time I'm here hunting on the east coast, I like a mechanical broadhead myself. Um, the the severs. I've had good luck with rages. Um, the mega meats all have done really, really well and you just get a killer blood trail, oh yeah. But I also see a broadhead as a one and done. I'm the same way, so I look at it as it's expendable as soon as I shoot it and I shoot an animal with it.
Joe Kolaszewski:Now, if that broadhead's done, I don't try to salvage it now, even with the you know the single bevels they're, they're expensive, they're. You can spend up to 130, 140 dollars. Um, but then having to go through that process of resharpening them, it's not difficult to do. I'll touch all my broadhead blades up if I can, just to make sure they're pristine when it comes to sharpness. But I'm the same. If I shoot an animal with a broadhead, it just goes in the used pile.
Joe Kolaszewski:I'm not going to use them again to practice broadhead yeah because most of us buy broadheads every year anyways.
Zakk Plocica:Oh yeah, so I have, you know, I'm, I'm just one. I just I'll use it as a, like a test broadhead whenever I'm citing my bow in or I'm getting ready for the season. It's kind of what they end up getting shifted to. Yeah, um, just because I'll retire it once I shoot something. Yeah, I know some guys try to salvage them, Even these, the mechanicals. Yeah, I just can't. I'm not buying blades and trying to replace these things.
Zakk Plocica:One it's hard and you slice your fingers up to it. To me it's just not worth the effort.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, but you know everyone's different. A doe I harvested this year is with the grim Reaper. I think it was the white tail special white. Yeah, that's a popular but um there was a log, a deadfall behind her, and I had shot you know complete pass here and hit the log, and Jr actually came out with me the next day which that's saying something, cause that's a front deploying broadhead and it's like a two inch cutting diameter and you zip through that deer, that 87 pounds man, 550 grains, nothing standing in its way.
Joe Kolaszewski:I can't complain with that, and it was a well-placed shot, of course no bone was involved, um, but we started digging that that broadhead out and I it was no intentions to reuse it, but I just kind of wanted to see you know how did it hold up? And it held up really well, um, but again, I wouldn't reuse it. It's just that one and done type of mentality.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, that's a mean broadhead man.
Joe Kolaszewski:It is. The blood trails are insane.
Zakk Plocica:Unbelievable. Yeah, I've actually done some testing on the Grim Reapers, just messing around at my house just to see how many times I could shoot one into a target and how long it would last, and surprisingly I figured after one shot that they just wouldn't close up very good, but I was able to shoot that thing you know a dozen times and it would still close up and maintain a good group out at a little bit of distance. So they were tough man. But yeah, I'm the same man. One and done, get a new one.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, I mean with shooting those. I think they're 40 bucks, maybe 50 bucks for like the G5s or something, right. But yeah, I'm a mechanical guy right now. Um, if, switching to a different game, if it's more of like a stalking situation, I'll probably go to a fixed blade, just cause I don't want that broadhead catching on something and not noticing that and then I'm shooting a mechanical that's already deployed or something.
Zakk Plocica:So throw that flight off. Yeah, yeah, I'm with you man. So let's look at now. So you know deployed or something. So throw that flight off. Yeah, yeah, I'm with you man. So let's look at now. So you actually, um, jay is, is Jr going with you guys this year. So you guys got a 2024 elk season and this is your first elk season.
Joe Kolaszewski:This is the first time I'll ever step foot, Jason elk which is awesome.
Zakk Plocica:So this is one of the things that I wanted to talk about to someone who's never done it. I've never done it myself, never been out West, and so how are you, as someone who hasn't done before, what are you doing differently? Are you changing up one, your your fitness, um style of training and two, are you training, changing up your gear?
Joe Kolaszewski:So for fitness wise, um, uh, I won't change it up too much. Um, my biggest concern is going out. There is that the altitude sickness right, so trying to best prepare myself for that when it comes to the physicality piece of it, um maybe slim down a little bit.
Joe Kolaszewski:You know, focus more on cardio, um. But the biggest thing is we're going to probably get there a few days early and get acclimated, you know, to whatever elevation that we're going to be. You know, focusing on Um. So the physicality piece of it I won't change much um, continue just working out every day. I'm incorporating those workouts into my shooting cycle.
Joe Kolaszewski:Um as far as gear goes, I'll continue shooting. You know the current bow that I'm shooting, probably the same arrows. Like I said, I might change up the broadhead. Um, go with, uh, just a fixed blade and just kind of see which one I prefer the most. And then also I am not one to be embarrassed or check my ego at the door I will ask a million questions. I have several buddies who've gone out west, who've been successful, and there's tons of stuff on YouTube. So just asking those questions like, hey, what tent do you recommend to you? What boots do you recommend? As far as the gear questions go, um, and also, we're going to colorado, so colorado is very friendly when it comes to non-residents.
Joe Kolaszewski:so once you figure out whatever unit you're going to focus in on, you know doing your map studies and then you can call the game wardens that are in charge of that unit and they'll tell you hey, this is maybe where you want to focus in on. If this gate is locked, you're not going to pass via road or whatever, so you might have to hike additional five, six miles. Um, but best preparing myself to, I'm looking at maybe like 10 to 12 miles a day on foot that we're, you know, walking around trying to locate a herd.
Zakk Plocica:Are you somebody that takes nutrition into consideration whenever you are out there? Absolutely so. That is one of my big things as well, right, so sleep, nutrition and hydration yeah, so I'm, I'm a fitness nerd, I've I. I love that's. If there's anything I love, it is is training. Yeah, um, and nutrition. And one of the things that I was curious about is do you, are you looking at ahead of time, at looking how many calories you need to bring in, how many you're burning, based off the distance and you know the amount of weight on your back? Do you kind of like calculate that in as far as prep for the amount of food you need to take?
Joe Kolaszewski:Oh for sure, and and and again the resources out there um Cam Haynes is awesome.
Zakk Plocica:I the dude is just I'll agree with you on that man. I know that dude gets so much hate, but if there was somebody who has created the lifestyle that they want to live and does what they want to do on their terms, it's that guy. And you know he's a, he's a machine man. I mean, you know people hate on him for running and lifting and shooting a bow, but I mean honestly, what more do you want to?
Joe Kolaszewski:do Exactly, Exactly, you know, and that comes down to you know, just the simple as the poundage of our bows, like people are always going to hate right but and I'm not we're near the caliber of Cameron Haynes, but trying to kind of focus our efforts around what he's doing. He has several books out there that I've, you know, indulged in. Um, and just the the tips, the tricks that he puts out there he doesn't keep anything a secret, right?
Joe Kolaszewski:He wants people to be successful and there's a lot of other hunters out there that want other hunters to be successful. So, again, just trying to get as much information as we possibly can prior to going on the hunt. Uh, and if we're not successful, it's still going to be a great trip.
Zakk Plocica:Oh, it's still a successful trip, absolutely.
Joe Kolaszewski:Like we're hanging out together, like that's the the ultimate, when it comes to bow hunting or just hunting in general, is the camaraderie and brotherhood. Um, there'll be four of us going out there, so it'd be pretty exciting.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, that's awesome man. So are you guys going to be have a base camp set up? You guys are all be in the back country the entire time you're out there, yep.
Joe Kolaszewski:So right now we're planning, maybe like eight, nine days, on the mountain We'll have a base camp and being that there's four of us, we'll we'll push out from base camp, um, and try to locate a herd and then from there, you know, figure out our comms plan. As far as figuring out, you know, hey, we need to get over here, um, but pushing out, from there and if we have to, like set up a spike camp or something you know.
Joe Kolaszewski:Hey, we're in a crash right here. We won't make it back to the base camp because it's a few miles. We want to be as close to the herd as possible. Um so just being adaptable to whatever the situation is that presents us. That's I, our best approach to it.
Zakk Plocica:Are you guys, as far as there's four of you guys going out there, are you guys going to be set up like two-man teams or is it a we're moving? There's going to be four of us together. We're staying together at all times or we're regrouping at night.
Joe Kolaszewski:I think initially the first day or two we'll kind of work in a four-man team and then from there, once we've kind of got our feet under us ourselves, we'll push out on two man teams or one man team if we have to Um. But if anyone out there has tips, tricks, different approaches to it.
Zakk Plocica:you know I'm all yours Like, please let me know. Yeah, that's great. I'm sure there's a bunch of people that'll watch this to have a lot of experience out West. So if you guys do have experience out West, you know it'd be great if you guys could drop some comments and kind of give us your feedback and let us know kind of your approach. As someone that's never been on the mountain, um, you know kind of what to expect.
Zakk Plocica:But the other, the other reason I asked that too is you know four different dudes. Um, whenever you go out on something like that, I don't know how, um, what, everyone else's fitness, fitness capability is. So that would be one of my worries is, you know, hey, right out of the gate we go in two man teams and we got you know two dudes that maybe aren't, are having a little bit more difficult time adjusting to altitude and can't, you know, quite hack it right out of the gate. So that was one of the reasons I was wondering is if you guys were going to stick together ultimately right in the beginning to kind of, you know, gauge everybody's capability.
Joe Kolaszewski:Absolutely. You know safety is going to be paramount, Right. But I will also say if one of the team members isn't as conditioned or isn't able to do whatever it is that we're trying to do, it kind of sucks to be you.
Zakk Plocica:And I said that in the kindest way. Yes, sir.
Joe Kolaszewski:But we're all there for for one main reason, and that's to harvest a bull, a mature bull. So there's going to be those times where we may split off into single man teams and you know, that's when it kind of comes down to how well are you prepared for this?
Zakk Plocica:I like it. So, jr, if you're listening um put a ruck on buddy yeah. Yeah, oh, that's awesome man. Yeah, that's going to be. I can't wait to hear about it. Man, I'm excited for you guys. Um, just to you know, just to hear how it goes, cause that's I mean, that's different, man. I mean you're not going home at night in the back country, away from anywhere. You've to survive and thrive.
Joe Kolaszewski:yeah, I mean, but that's bowhunt, that's, that's the ultimate bowhunting trip cam haynes actually talks about in some of his books is that's the most difficult part of hunting out west is just the the factor of not having the communication, and if you do split up in your one-man teams, you're by yourself. Yeah, you know it's scary you have nothing to do. But you know, think, you know the mind is a scary thing.
Zakk Plocica:What was that? Is that a Cougar? No, okay, that's a squirrel you know.
Joe Kolaszewski:So he says that's the most difficult part, and I can see that you know. Being alone it's dark, whatever's going on around you, you start thinking about things you never thought you'd think about in life.
Zakk Plocica:So what are you prioritizing as far as gear when it goes out there? Do you have, have you already built? I mean, it's early, we're in, it's February right now. Have you and you hit me up the other day asking about you know, looking at gear and stuff, do you have anything in mind that you've already kind of prioritized Like, hey, I know I need to take this much food with me. This is, you know I'm I want to be as light as I can in this area. You know I'm willing to be a little bit uncomfortable with this, but I know I need good sleep. Have you already started to think of considering those things?
Joe Kolaszewski:We have and I'd say the biggest thing for for the group is having a good quality pair of boots, being that you're putting all those miles, so having a comfortable pair of boots and a safe pair of boots. And then, as far as like the meals go, my buddy, sam he's, he's really diving into the different types of meals. You know the nutrient content, what it provides, and then weight's also a big issue. You know, seeing that we are packing everything out, you know we've talked about hiring packers. You know, if we're, you know, a few miles back, you, you know having those individuals kind of already lined up where, if we do harvest a bull, hey, we can, you know, pack this bull out, meet up with these packers, with the horses, and then they can bring them to a, you know, a deep freeze or whatever, so that meat's still good when we get back and we're done hunting right um but you know, there's so many options out there.
Joe Kolaszewski:It's like what tent? What tent do we do? Do we want to do a tent? Do we want to do a bivy sack? You know what sleep system do we want to use? What GPS do we want to use? You know, for a backup, if our, you know, onyx maps isn't working or something. So, it's up front. I feel it's a huge investment. Right, of course you don't want to buy you, you know lower end gear.
Zakk Plocica:You want quality gear because that's all you have when you're out there.
Zakk Plocica:So, yeah, your life kind of depends on it, yeah, so one of the things we got a cool new product in.
Zakk Plocica:This is a product drop, whatever, but it's a cool product that we got in that I thought was pretty neat. It's by a company called dark energy, yeah, so I don't know if you've seen them or not, but they make these solar panels and these little battery packs and these things are rugged and robust, man, and they will charge anything from ipads, laptops, gps devices, iphones, and they've got these cool cords, so usbc to usbc and usbc to the lightning for your iphone stuff, but they're all wrapped in 550 cord. They're three foot long and it's 30 foot of 550 cord, so the cord is super robust and durable and the amount of power that these little battery packs and solar devices put out is is awesome and it's for a lightweight pack-out addition, yeah, to have in the backcountry. I think it's. It's something pretty unique and uh worth considering because you know, you see uh, battery packs and stuff all the time, but these things are built, yeah, to be in the outdoor back country world.
Joe Kolaszewski:It's funny you bring that up Cause I hit up Jr. I think it was last week. He said hey, man, like we need a solid charging device that's lightweight, durable, that you know, if we drop it we'll be okay, but it also has a solar panel. And he said dude, said dude, we got them at the shop.
Joe Kolaszewski:They're legit man, that's what we need, and we only need one really um because I think if you're running your phone in the same like airplane mode um, using maps and everything, it'd be two, three days probably before you depend on your longevity of your battery life right but having that resource to be able to charge your phone um it's huge yeah, absolutely, and that and uh, gps, yeah, unit, because I don't know if you guys are planning on running something like um, what does Garmin make?
Zakk Plocica:It's their little. Sos device um, which is, uh, I think I don't almost feels like it would be a requirement to have on you at least at least one, at least one per team, or in visual. I don don't know how many you guys would do, but just you know when communication is, you know, key, whenever you get lost or alone, yeah, something happens.
Joe Kolaszewski:Have that and um, having like a blowout kit right, go, blowout kit, you know whether it's. You know suture kits or you know some type of super glue, a tourniquet for worst case scenarios. Um, but sitting down and compiling that list and then balancing that list off of you know friends who've already done you know this type of hunt to say, hey, is this needed, is this not needed? What are your recommendations?
Zakk Plocica:Right and to me you'd be an ideal dude to go with because of your background on the medical side and the experience with being in the Marine Corps. With what you've done, you have a lot of experience on you can you can carry this up, but you actually know how to apply it and utilize it, which would be to me a huge, almost like a relief.
Joe Kolaszewski:you know like, hey, something happens, we got a legitimate guy there We'll say hopefully I don't get altitude sickness and I'm the one who's getting carried out, the one down.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, yeah, no, but do you have you guys? Are you the lead on this?
Joe Kolaszewski:Uh, I guess you could say yeah.
Zakk Plocica:Um, do you have? Did you have any requirements for the guys going with you Like, hey, this is kind of the standard If you can't do this.
Joe Kolaszewski:No, we haven't talked about it, but it's 100% real.
Zakk Plocica:I've watched guys. I know that went out on hunts and there was a conflict between you know what the capabilities were and it ended up ultimately being bad.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah.
Zakk Plocica:Um, but I was just curious. If that's something you had put in place like, hey, listen there, this is we're doing this, we're investing this amount of money, yeah, you, you're responsible for you. And if you're not up to the task or the challenge at hand, hey, you need to say so because I don't want you to jeopardize it for everyone else.
Joe Kolaszewski:So we haven't really come out and talk. I guess that's kind of harsh. It's not harsh, it's reality right 100%, um, but we have a group chat and we'll, you know, push out. Hey again, talking to other buddies who've done it like be expected you know 8, 10, 12 miles a day. Get good gear. But I think everyone knows in the group if, if you're the the weaker link there's, you'll probably get not left behind.
Joe Kolaszewski:But you know we're not gonna, you know, cancel the hunt or jeopardize the hunt if you're not able to hack it right, we'll do our best to accommodate to everyone, but at the end of the day, we're there for one reason, that's to harvest a nice bolt absolutely.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, it's good. I like talking to guys like you too, man, because you do come from a different background, and that's one of the things about our shop, right? Yeah, I see a lot of guys that come through the door that are dudes like yeah physical specimens, you a lot of different backgrounds. Um and pretty, um I don't even know the best word like just real men.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, I don't know how to say it?
Zakk Plocica:Um, but that are, you know, physically fit, have a lot of capabilities and skills within them, and they come in, they get in the bow hunting and it's, it seems like almost a pretty easy transition because it's like the lifestyle you guys anyways, yeah, uh. But yeah, I always enjoy picking your guys's brain because of the amount of information that you guys have, even if you've never even done this particular thing. You have a lot of experience, yeah, on deployments overseas. The training that you do have and kind of getting the insight from you guys is always cool. Um, but one of the other things I did want to touch on and it just kind of popped in my head uh, aaron Snyder, you're familiar with Aaron Snyder, um, kfarou, uh, backpacks.
Zakk Plocica:I'd have to look, okay, so one of the things I and I think it was him, I recall uh hearing it from, but he said one of the biggest things for him was one calories. Right, so he will not. He knows how much food he needs to take in, like whether it's three or 3,500 calories a day, based off the movement per day. The other thing is too is he's willing to sacrifice a little bit in weight for better sleeping?
Zakk Plocica:He says you know, I need to get X amount of sleep every night quality, not just laying around, but quality sleep so that I am well rested and capable to continue to move forward in the hunt each and every day. Yeah, so that when it comes time I get the opportunity. You know, I'm not so out of it that I can't capitalize on that pivotal moment for sure. So that was one of the things I was curious as well. Like do you guys have you know what's like your biggest priority? Is it you know, or is it just a mix of things?
Joe Kolaszewski:it's definitely a mix, but the biggest one is the conditioning piece. Yeah, being physically conditioned. Um, and we're. We're so going back and forth when it comes to sleep. You know we're talking. Do we want a one man tent? Do we want a two man tent? You know, like you said, that extra ounces, and everyone's knows the same. You know ounces or pounds, pounds or pain, but is that pain, like you said?
Joe Kolaszewski:the extra ounces and everyone's knows the saying. You know ounces or pounds, pounds or pain. But is that pain, like you just said, that a little bit of extra pain worth it when it comes to comfort and getting quality sleep?
Zakk Plocica:Um, because, we can function.
Joe Kolaszewski:You know a lot of stories that I'm reading articles it's you know, two, three days they're just hunting hard and then the trips kind of just ruined because, they're just smoked. They can't, you know, continue anymore. So yeah. Um sleep is definitely going to be huge, and being comfortable in the uncomfortable situations.
Zakk Plocica:Right, yeah, I think that's a big part Cause I watched. Um, there's some other dudes that went out West. It was a year or so ago, but they went out and they hammered right away and they had to cut the hunt short just because the altitude, the amount of miles they covered, right out of the gate, the body just couldn't recover, and fast enough, you know, with that little bit less, that thinner air, uh, and then you know that terrain difference, in elevation difference, it's just, I mean, it just smashed their bodies.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, and it's hard to prepare for elevation here in Eastern North Carolina.
Zakk Plocica:It really is. But you know what they say. One of the best things for elevation training is and this, I got this whenever I was training for, uh, triathlon and half ironman stuff okay was heat training okay. So training in the heat had really good carryover from what I was told or what I read. For elevation it's not the same, sure, but it's still a really good way to prep for, yeah, elevation. So heat training and that's we're talking. You know, dead of the, you know summer, yeah, mid days. That's why I enjoy talking, you know, dead of the, you know summer, middays.
Joe Kolaszewski:That's why I enjoy shooting my bow the most when it's you know a hundred degrees and you know a hundred percent humidity. You know getting that workout in and just pushing yourself 100% out of your comfort zone, but that's definitely something we'll take in consideration and, you know, start looking into for sure.
Zakk Plocica:There's definitely a lot to consider, man, because once you get out there, you're out there and there's. If you don't got it on you, you ain't going to have it. That's right. So make sure that packing list is laid out. Everything's laid out ahead of time. You're going through, you know, dotting your eyes crossing your. T's and make sure you got everything ahead of time, Cause I'd hate to get out there and be like oh well, I forgot my bow. Guys, look like I'm watching.
Joe Kolaszewski:So you bring up bow and I only I currently have one bow, um, but looking into getting a backup bow um, it's not a bad idea. I'd hate to get there. Then, all of a sudden, something goes wrong with your equipment and then you're just walking around. That would be terrible. So having a backup bow, I think is definitely another priority you know to throw on our list.
Zakk Plocica:Yeah, I mean, to me it only makes sense If you're going to invest that amount of money in that amount of time. Yeah, I mean, you don't have to have another RX seven, rx eight flagship bow, but something that you, you want, you're comfortable or confident with that If you had to pick it up, you could still get the job done.
Zakk Plocica:That's right. Yeah, I'm a firm believer in having two bows at all time, and I know that's not a reality for everybody, guys, I trust me, I understand that. But if you do have that ability and you're going to invest that amount of money into your hunt, make sure the bow that you've got is tuned, set up properly and shooting good, and then, if you have the ability, have a second bow with you.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, I mean it's 27 hours, dude, so there's no turning back. That's from the. You know the bow shop real quick yeah.
Zakk Plocica:You ain't doing that. And even when I go to Kentucky, man, I take two bows because you know it's only a 12 hour drive and you know I got family and stuff there. But the last thing I want to do is drive there and then a bow go down because things happen. Yeah Right, you know a limb delaminates, something cracks, that that's right. The last thing I want to do is have spent that time going there and I have in, you know I'm not saying I don't want to hang out with my family.
Joe Kolaszewski:Yeah, that's there, don't get me wrong, but you know I want I go there to hunt.
Zakk Plocica:I want to be able to hunt, that's right, you know, and I want to do it, uh, to the best of my ability. So I'm a firm believer in having you know multiple of everything that you can I agree, 100 man oh yeah, well, good deal. Well, as far as I know you, like we already said, you don't have any social media, but your wife does have a TikTok account and she does. She posts all your guys' hunting stuff and stuff. So that was. Her account is on TikTok. What was?
Joe Kolaszewski:Elizabeth B Outdoors is her account.
Zakk Plocica:Elizabeth B Outdoors. So if you guys are interested in following Joe, his entire family, his army yeah, it's pretty cool why she makes so.
Joe Kolaszewski:If you guys are interested in following Joe his entire family his army.
Zakk Plocica:Uh, wife, yeah, no doubt man, head over there, check her out. She posts all this stuff. Um, they've got some really killer videos over there. Uh, especially, I encourage you go check out the one where he is spot and stalking that day in Virginia. It is an incredible clip. Um, it just I mean, I, every time I watch it, man, it just gets me motivated. I'm like, oh, dude, yeah, yeah, right, so head over there, check her out on tiktok to see joe and his family out there in the wild. Um, and I'm sure they'll be posting stuff about this upcoming trip as well oh, absolutely for elk prepping and whatnot.
Zakk Plocica:But, man, I really appreciate you taking the time to come and sit down with me it's great talking to you, absolutely. You know you've really done a lot of interesting things, man, from your career, your family, um, all your different hunting adventures. I'm looking forward to hearing about 2024 elk season and, yeah, man, I'm sure it's going to be solid.
Joe Kolaszewski:We're looking forward to it, man, thanks for having me.
Zakk Plocica:Absolutely, man. Thanks again, I appreciate it. Yeah, we'll see you guys in the next episode of the show. I appreciate you guys following along and make sure you guys check out our social channels as well. We got some killer giveaways going on and we've got more awesome episodes coming for you guys with some really interesting individuals. So check it out the show over on our YouTube channel. Appreciate it, guys.