← Live Wild with Remi Warren
Live Wild with Remi Warren
Ep. 201 | Old school skills every hunter should know
00:53:28
This episode of the LiveWild podcast, Remi Warren shares his extensive knowledge and experiences in hunting, emphasizing the importance of traditional skills in a modern hunting context. He discusses the significance of preparation, the art of building a fire, navigating the wilderness, and understanding weather patterns. Remi also highlights the value of getting closer to game, estimating range accurately, and maintaining sharp knives. The episode concludes with a focus on conservation efforts and the community aspect of hunting.
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Foreign I'm Remy Warren and I've lived my life in the wild as a professional guide and hunter. I've spent thousands of days perfecting my craft. I want to give that knowledge to you. In this podcast we relive some of my past adventures as I give you practical hunting tips to make you more successful. Whether you're just getting started or a lifelong hunter, this podcast will bring you along on the hunt and teach you how to live. Wild podcast is brought to you by Mountain Tough and Yeti. Now for those that don't know, Mountain Tough is an online based training app that's designed for hunters to train you both mentally and physically for the mountains. So you can go on. And there's programs designed with workouts that are specifically made to get you ready for the things you're going to encounter out there in the wild. And while a lot of you probably know that their programs are designed to get you ready, they also have programs designed to keep you ready during the season. It really is a year round process to help you be the best you can be on the hunt. For me, a big part of the hunt actually comes after I get out of the field. It's that cooking process of wild game, whether back at camp or at home. And my Yeti cast iron skillet is one of my favorite ways to cook. I'm actually personally a big fan of cooking on cast iron, but it has to be high quality cast iron and there is a big difference. The Yeti cast iron skillets are actually made here in America in Wisconsin and they use that vintage casting method. So what that does is that it yields a hyper smooth finish and you get that non stick barrier. They're also a lot lighter than other cast irons, making them a lot easier to handle. Each skillet comes pre seasoned by hand so it's ready to use right out of the box. And there's four different sizes available ranging from 8 to 14 inches. I've been cooking on mine for a while and I highly recommend it to anyone. Welcome back to the LiveWild podcast everyone. It's pretty awesome we're in the season right now. I'm sure a lot of you might be going out, might be gearing up, might be getting ready and it's just an exciting time of year for me because this is what I talk about and think about the entire year and then it's finally here and we get to put some of the things that we learn or think about or planned over the course of the year into action. The funny thing Is right now we have more technology than there's ever been in everything. And hunting's not excluded from that. Right. You can go online and you could pretty much ask AI to do so many things that we couldn't do even just a year or two ago. We also are at a point where we have a ton of technology and hunting that actually aids in the hunt, helps us be more successful, helps us figure out where we're at. Even just the technology of what we're hunting with bows, rifles, scopes, range finders, all that stuff, is it the highest it's ever been? However, I think that there's some old school hunting skills that everybody needs to know. Because when you're out there, there is this aspect of the hunt that comes down to that primal nature, that survival instinct. And sometimes that technology can fail you. I think that every hunter should know. Certain, I will call it old school tips and tricks. Things that every hunter should know that our grandparents just. That was part of hunting, that it wasn't even something that they thought of, that there was no technology that replaced these skills. It was just skills that they had. So this week we're going to dive in and I've made A list of 8 old school skills that should never go away and things that every hunter should know. So yesterday, you know, for me it's, it's the season, but I'm actually kind of gearing up. I'm. I'm between a hunt, so I, I had my own personal tag and I. And I'm getting ready to do a little bit of elk guiding here. Guys are coming in tomorrow, well, actually tonight and I'm going to be starting guiding tomorrow. And so, you know, just kind of like getting things ready, doing some scouting and then, you know, went out and was shooting, shooting my bow and one of my kind of pastimes, passions, things that I like to do outside of all the other things, you know, I really love shooting my traditional bows, whether it's a longbow, a recurve. I've got, I'm sitting here talking, I'm looking at all my bows. I've got a compound bow here, I've got a long bow, I've got a couple different recurves. And so for me, you know, it's like I get a little bit of time between chores, between doing things and I just, I grab a bow and often it's, you know, one of my traditional bows just because the kind of focus that you need for it and in some ways it's a little bit of an Escape. Another thing that I love to do is fly fish and get on the river. And I think because, you know, you just sometimes, you know, whatever it is, you can. You can do those activities. And there's just not a whole ton of. A lot of electronics or technology needed, right. I go out, I grab my bow, I shoot at the target. And I actually prefer just roving around the yard, shooting pine cones and mushrooms that are growing and just different things, just having fun with it. It's just one of the things that I enjoy to do. And then one of the other things that we did yesterday, and this just, you know, I cooked up some. Some dinner for my family, my kids. I got some couple young kids. And so we. We decided, you know, we're going to make s' mores for dessert, so built a fire and. And made s', mores, right. And that's just a. A day in the. I guess a day in the life of not out hunting, not. Not doing the other things, kind of gearing up in between hunts. But it got me thinking of, you know, some of the skills when we're out there that, you know, as a guide, right. The thing that I talk about guiding a lot on this podcast because one of the things that it does is allows me to interact with a wide kind of variety or net of hunters. Some that have been hunting their whole life and have a lot of experience in. I would say the majority of the guys have experience whitetail hunting. They've been hunting since they were 10 years old, maybe whitetail and turkey hunting, Midwest kind of areas, you know, and a lot of people, I mean, a lot of people, your hunting experience is within a small portion or a farm or somewhere you grew up hunting. And then they'll go on trips other places. And then there's people that are, you know, the exact opposite of that. Where they grew up, maybe somewhere where there is elk hunting, but they just, you know, wanted to hunt somewhere else or. Or what have you. But for the most part, you know, it's a. And then there's also the. The side of, like, people that have. It's their first hunting experience and. Or maybe they've like, they've been hunting but haven't been successful. Right. So we get kind of like all kinds. But the thing that I really enjoy about it is you can kind of see, you know, people have different skills in different places. And then I also notice sometimes where good number of hunters that I would say that maybe don't have a certain skill that I just take for granted, like A skill that maybe I've developed over the years and don't even think about, but know that it's integral to the hunt in a way, or even just being confident and comfortable in the outdoors. So one of the things that I didn't want this podcast to be is like a survival podcast. Because I definitely think that there's the worst case scenario type stuff, and it's definitely worth talking about. I feel very versed in. We'll call it Bushcraft survival. Those things. Some of my favorite compliments I've ever got from people that I've hunted with are like, man, you're the bushiest person I've ever hunted with. Like, guys that have hunted a lot and people that have, you know, clients and other things. And I think that that, like, to me that's like a great compliment and a badge of honor because I've just got to spend so much time out in the wild and you just learn to do things, you know, to survive and to be comfortable and to just do what you need to do. And I've done, you know, self. We'll just call it like, I don't know what the best way to call it is, like practicing survival skills, like, you know, not just going out without things and practicing, okay, can I make a shelter? Can I find food? All that kind of stuff. I enjoy that process of things. You know, I know that there's like a million now there's like a million shows and other things based on that kind of stuff. Right. But that's just something that I've, that I've always done and found fun and intriguing. And I like knowing what plants I can eat and ways to catch and find food, you know, and that kind of stuff. This podcast, well, now that's probably a lot of people are like, ooh, I'm excited to hear about that kind of stuff. We'll do one of those. I think we'll definitely do like a survival style podcast because I do think that having certain skills in worst case scenarios is important. But for this podcast, I think that it's more along the lines of there's just a few hunting based bush skills, a few old school techniques and tactics that shouldn't be replaced with technology. And even though, you know, one of the things that I see a lot is guys so reliant on whatever technology they've got that they kind of, if something were to happen to that technology or maybe, you know, they aren't constant, if they aren't looking at it or the battery dies on something, they're kind of at a loss. And in other ways, too, I think there's a few skills that you can gain that you should just know before going out. So if you're new to it, you need to know a few of these things or practice a few of these things. So I think I've got a list here. And honestly, too, I think this can be a list that I'm gonna go through some of these things that I think are important, and you're probably gonna think of 10 to 20 others that I didn't mention. So that's great. Feel free to reach out. Let's get a big list going and we can. We can kind of expand on this. Maybe this could be a working topic or a recurring podcast topic. Because in a lot of ways, I think hunting has been modernized in some ways. But the thing that I love about hunting is there are just some things you can't modernize. You're going out in the wild, you're braving the elements. You're kind of. Not necessarily. You're more in the line of becoming a part of nature in that natural process. And these are the things that I love about it. So we're going to dive into the list here. I'll share a few stories and things along the way. But I think the first one and one that I see maybe a lack of skill in, in a lot of ways, is knowing how to build a fire. And this could probably be its own podcast. I think I've even made it its own podcast in the past or on other people's podcasts. But building a fire and knowing how to adequately build a fire is a very important skill. And I think people hear this and they go, I've built fires, right? And that's true. I think every, you know, most people have built a fire. A lot of people have used what they like to call Boy Scout lighter fluid or whatever, just like a can of gasoline. But I think that, you know, understanding the fundamentals of building a fire is very important. So I'm gonna break down a few of the things that I do and find important to know. So you should always have some way to start a fire on you. And I often have more than one way to start a fire. So if you like. I carry like, just a. This is not even. I wouldn't say it's old school, but it's like, you know, nobody smokes anymore. I was never a smoker. I don't smoke. But I always carry just like a standard Bic lighter in my pocket because I Use it to test the wind. Often I'll use the puffer bottles too. But in the dark, as I'm moving in, just to see which way the wind's going. I like being able to use that lighter. I always have one in my pocket and then in my pack or what have you. I know some people are like, gotta keep your fire starter on you. That's true. I always have that lighter. And then I've got something else in my backpack, like a striker and a rod or something like that. Something that's waterproof and kind of full foolproof. And then I do carry some kind of fire starter, however, I often don't. So that could be like, you know, cotton swabs with wax. There's different, you know, you can buy different kinds of things. I always have some in my medicine kit, but I rarely use that. That's kind of more of emergency, worst case scenario. Like, I'm really struggling here because I think that if you understand the fundamentals of building a fire, you can really get a fire going in any condition. So the first thing to know is what burns in your area. Every. Every time I go to a new place, I really kind of experiment with what plants and what kind of things, you know, burn really well. What burns hot, what burns fast, what's like. There are some plants that burn like pine needles or dried pine needles that light up like gasoline. And then there's other stuff that's really hard to burn. There's grasses that burn fast, but maybe not that hot. So just understanding when you're walking around, what are some things that burn really well, the next is just start small. A lot of people that I see, I'll be like, hey, can you build us a fire? Like, yep. And they got a bunch of sticks and they got some, like light grass in there. And then they start to go and they've got kind of wet sticks or whole sticks, and they haven't really taken the time to prep the fire. A good fire comes in the prep. So it might mean shaving down a stick to get some of the inner pitch and shavings, having some kind of kindling, starting with really small sticks, starting small, building big. Now the thing that I always tell people to do is when you're out in the field, practice building fires in wet conditions, even when you don't need it. Maybe you aren't on a hunt, maybe you're. Whatever. Clearly this should go without mentioning, but be like, very fire safe. Build a fire, put your fire out. Don't create forest fires, don't be stupid. I don't know. Go online, research Smokey the Bear's tips. A lot of it should be common sense. Put your fire out when you're done. Okay, I said all those things just so we don't have a forest firing I heard on a podcast should make fires. That's not what I'm saying. Saying, practice making fires and whatever, but practice when it's wet and difficult conditions. Maybe in. And when you're out in the field, in types of terrain that you hunt a lot, because you're gonna. You're gonna, like, through that trial and error, you're gonna build and understand ways that it works better. I'm always surprised at how many people spend a good amount of time outside but struggle to build fires in adverse conditions. And there are times where even I struggle to be like, you're like, I'm in a new terrain, like southeast Alaska. And you're like, dude, how do you even find stuff that can go. But you can. You just learn to learn where to look to find dry stuff. You learn how to shave things down to create kindling. You practice in those wet conditions just like anything. I've built thousands of fires, probably, and because of it, you build this muscle memory, you know, what to look out for. And then in the process of doing it, one. One of the habits that I have when I'm walking around, whether it's somewhere new, whether it's somewhere old, whatever, when I'm walking around, I'm always making mental notes as I'm moving. This is like, just something that I've done for a long time, and it's come in so handy is like, I make mental notes when I see something that's a really good. Like, maybe I find. I'm walking through and I find a dead pine that's all dried out or whatever. Like, I make mental notes of, like, as I'm hiking. Oh, this tree has a ton of SAP coming out of it. Sometimes I'll even gather a little bit of materials and put it in a bag and keep it in my chest pocket when I'm hiking around. Maybe it's like some moss or, you know, some pitch or whatever. But even just making notes of, like, oh, you remember that there was like, a big tree back there that had, you know, brush cover to the ground. Probably has a lot of dry stuff underneath it. Like, as I'm walking, especially as it gets later in the day or terrain, you know, maybe it's getting wet or whatever. I just make notes of where good places would be to even gather the materials to create a good fire. And it's helped me so many times. Where we're going, it's like getting near dark, and it's just like, automatic for me of paying attention to those kind of things. And then when I, oh, it's like, oh, man, it's almost dark, or we got a bowl down and be like, oh, yeah, like 300 yards, 150 yards back that way. It's just like a continual list of, like, paying attention to those things and knowing, like, oh, yeah, there was a good spot. I can go grab that stuff and we can make a fire or what have you, if you need it. That's come in handy so many times, especially in the wet and inclement conditions. But I'm going to say that, like, the process of thinking about fire, knowing how to build it, practicing just like any other, any other thing, is a really good technique to have in a skill to have. And then when. If you get into a new environment, you know, there's places that I have haven't spent a lot of time, and I think that, like, just to show up there and build a fire would be difficult. Right. So I would like to, you know, understand, okay, what. What woods here, where's some places to look for, for dried fuel for the fire, that kind of stuff. All those things are important to do and pay attention to. Number two, I think that knowing your cardinal directions, where you're at, north, south, east and west are key and very important. Yeah, we have. I mean, you could have a compass. I don't carry a compass. I haven't for who knows how long, probably forever. Which I think that, like, there is some, you know, people will be like, man, you gotta carry a couple. For the most part. I know where the sun comes up and I know where the sun sets. And that's kind of generally how I'm gauging, you know, my directions. Right. Rises in the east, sets in the west. If that's the first time you've heard that, I'm doing you a big solid. But I think that, like, you know, just understanding when you're out there, paying attention to which way's north, which way's south, which way's east, which way's west, and describing directions and let's say you're communicating to other people or whatever using those cardinal directions because it helps you build that map of where you're at on the map. The direction that you're going, the direction that you left from, and the direction that you're going back to the thing that I've noticed more than anything, and I am a absolute proponent of online mapping, we've got, like, Onyx. I think it's absolutely integral to the hunt. But as somebody that is fairly good at navigating and getting back to where I need to be without that kind of stuff, I still utilize that technology for knowing where property lines are, knowing all these other things. But what happens if the battery goes out? How many people I've seen that are just so into the screen that they really don't pay attention to the way that they're traveling. And so I think even just understanding the directions of where you are laid out without the map helps you, when you look at the map, know where you're going and build this mental picture of the way that the area lays out. There's something very important to understanding those cardinal directions and knowing which direction you're facing kind of at all times without the use of anything else. Now, I will say, like, you can pull out the compass or whatever on your phone or whatever and utilize it as a baseline, because sometimes there isn't. Like, you're in thick. Like, the hardest stuff to navigate in is, like, thick and flat, right? You can't see the sun and you can't. You can't see any landmarks. You know that that's the kind of, like, compass country. Knowing which direction you're facing or which way you're getting out, which way you're going from where you're leaving. So, you know, maybe in some instances, maybe you're like, hey, I struggle with. I get turned around a lot. Like, if that's. You get it. The thing about a compass is. And the cool thing about it is, like, it really helps you build that awareness of the direction that you might be going, north, south, east, west. And then that even too, like, okay, if you walked away from the vehicle heading north, you're going to head south back to your vehicle, right? Like, it seems intuitive, but I think it's all very important. And the other thing about understanding that is when you look at a map, you can actually understand and build a better picture as you're in the field, you remember things better, you understand your navigation. You don't have to look at it so much to kind of navigate to where you need to be. And so you can rely on it less. You can use a less battery and still, you know, cover considerable amount of country and then have that map as the backup or when you need it for property lines or maybe some route navigation or maybe you're in some thick stuff and finding the best route back cliffs and other things. Having digital maps is incredible. But also having a way of understanding where you are without that stuff is also very important, too. Don't pay so much attention to it that you've kind of missed out on where you are in the world, you know, in case those things fail. And number three is kind of an addition to that. It's that pay attention to where you are. So many people are looking at those maps, navigating off those maps, relying on those maps. They're awesome tools to have. But just travel and navigation is extremely important. Put your head up, pay attention, look behind you as you're moving into somewhere. Think about the way that you're going in, the way that you're coming out almost. In some ways, don't just go through the country, but actively look and think about it. Probably from just doing it so much. A pretty good sense of direction. And that's just, I think, practice and learn. Like, I could park on some flat and somehow I wander back. Like, it's almost like an internal compass that guides me back. But a lot of it, too, is just a level of attention that I'm paying to certain things. I'm almost. And this was something somebody told me a long time ago when I was a lot younger. And I don't necessarily know if I do this to this effect anymore, but I was told. I don't know how true this is, but I'm sure it's pretty true of these Native Americans that would travel long distance from summer to winter range, and they would almost have stories about where they were going. Or if you're by yourself, like, creating a narrative of what you're seeing, right? So you could like, oh, this rock that looks like this? Or you go over this and just paying attention to how many creeks you go or how many other things, Looking back the other direction and seeing what it looks like. But really, you know, in some ways, creating this mental map of where you've been and where you're going. And then you can combine that with your app and what the terrain looks like, where you're at. So if something happened and you lose batteries, you drop your phone, whatever, you have a good sense of how to get out. I think most people that get into a situation, one of two things happens. They either don't know where to go, or they're overconfident in the direction that they're traveling when it might be the wrong direction. Sometimes it's best at nighttime, kind of getting in the Survival thing of staying put and waiting for daylight. Don't, don't spend a lot of time burying yourself into a zone that you might not know. There have been times where I've. Dude, I mean, there's one time where I popped out in the dark, went over the mountain unknowingly, like just through the timber kind of wandering all day. I think I went 20, 22, 23 miles that day. Popped over thinking I was one way and had no map or anything and saw lights. And I'm like, dude, there's no lights. I'm like, saw town. I'm like, I'm a long ways away from town. Where the heck am I? Well, I'd gone up over the ridge, which was a ways away, and was going kind of in a weird way in the wrong direction. Ended up. That kind of gave me an idea of like at first, after being super confused, where the heck am I? Like, I see lights way off there. I shouldn't ever see lights. I just don't know where I'm at. And I go, okay, now it makes sense. Like hit a road and then ended up walking this road. Cause I knew I was on that road, but it was like miles. It added so many miles to my trip. I mean, I got back nearly at daybreak. So, you know, I don't know where that story's going, but you know, it's happened to me before too. So you can get turned around and other things, but I think oftentimes it's either, you know, when people get lost, it's they, they weren't paying attention. Probably number one is not paying attention when they went in. And then whatever they were relying on isn't working now. And then two is probably like they don't have anything, but they're, they kind of think they know where they're going but are going the wrong way. And then they just kind of get deeper and deeper into the wrong way. And that's, that's probably the, the two reasons. But I think paying attention is a huge thing. That is an old school technique. Pay attention to where you're at. Because when you didn't have an app to look at to tell you where you were, you had to look around and know where you're at. You had to find your way back on your own. And it's definitely doable. Okay. I just think you gotta, you utilize the tool of that technology, of the app and mapping software. But your, your primary navigation should not be that. Your primary navigation should be paying attention to where you're going. Number four, the oldest of old school hunting tips, techniques, and tactics is hunt the wind. Hunt into the wind. Don't try like this. You know, I'll even talk to the whitetail guys. And I know there's a ton of products out there that are for the wind, right? It's like, oh, yeah, you can scent. This catches your scent, and this sends your scent to the ground. And sometimes you're in a tree, you can't move. But my strategy would be, and this is, take this with a grain of salt, because I am no master stand hunting whitetail expert. I'm not. Right. I understand, like, there's gonna be people that know a thousand times more than me on this subject. But if it were me, like, I would pick a stand. And the thing that's off the primary downwind of where I think the animals are coming, and that's whether I'm sitting still or hunting. Like, I generally choose my route and my other thing based on the wind. And I will change what I'm doing based on the wind. There are times like, dude, last week it seemed like every direction that I went, no matter what I would do, I change and the wind would be at my back. Some days are just like that. Okay? Like, you just. You're like, this is. I just got a glass a long ways away. In those days, I'm just like, I'm just gonna sit down and glass somewhere else because I know that it's probably gonna. Whatever's in front of me is gonna get blown out. But hunting and playing the wind, animals utilize that as their primary detection of predators. That's like the most basic of hunting concepts. But you really want the wind in your face and you want to be able to predict it and understand which way you're gonna travel. And so that leads us into tip number five, which is reading the weather. I spend a lot of time, you know, in the mountains hunting. I rarely utilize, and this is maybe a fault of mine. There are times where I'm like, hey, I want a little bit of a forecast out. What can I predict? Especially if it's going to impede some kind of travel. But for the most part, you know, I'm pretty good at predicting what the weather is going to be like based on the current conditions and how things are changing. And it does vary depending on your area a little bit. Some of the things to look out for, you know, in certain areas, you can go, okay, when it's windy. Like, when it's. Some places are always windy. Some places aren't. It's like, hey, every time before it's windy, that kind of indicates that a storm's moving in. Other things, like, you know, looking at what the clouds are doing and understanding thermals and the way that the wind in the mountains is moving. Like a lot of times I'll be like, okay, I test the wind and I go, okay, the wind's going up this hill. Well, that's. It's middle of the day. Maybe it's hot. Okay, that's the thermal. But I look at the clouds, right? And I go, the clouds are moving from, let's say right to left, north to south, whatever, doesn't matter. And I go, okay, well, the air current's moving that way. So I bet if I get up on the ridge, the wind is coming up the mountain and then it's probably hitting that air current and going over the ridge this way. So when I'm looking at, I can kind of decide, okay, this is probably what's going to happen or maybe when that thermal changes, which way is the wind going to go? What's probably going to go with that air current? So just understanding the way that the winds are moving in the mountains, the way, understanding that the way that wind and air move and the way that weather moves into your particular area is an important skill to have. You know, getting up and saying, like, okay, yeah, I think that today's probably gonna, probably gonna rain later today based off of what the weather is doing right now. Or, you know, you can't really always predict it within a long period of time, but you can often predict it in a short amount of time. You can look off in the direction of the winds coming and say like, oh, there's some dark, ominous clouds that way. Maybe I don't, you know, that looks like lightning. Maybe I don't want to be on this ridge by the time that gets here. Or, oh, yeah, looks like some rain's coming. Maybe I'm going to have to get my rain gear on here in a little bit to kind of stay dry and stay out of that particular weather. Just understanding, you know, and paying a level of attention to what the wind's doing, what it might be doing a little bit later is a good skill to have, a good skill to understand. Number six. I think an old school skill is just getting closer. And what that means is getting closer to the animals that you're hunting. I think that with all the technology we have and this is. I'm not trying, like, I've taken. Let's. I'll call it a Poke. I've taken pokes with my bow and I've taken pokes with my rifle and they're situational and I've done it and I will probably continue to take shots that are further. Okay, that's not, not true. But also I try to hunt in a way where it's like if given the opportunity. Right. Everything is situational. But I enjoy getting close and I think that like when I think of the way that my grandpa hunted, I'm, you know, it's kind of a. I'm looking when I'm podcasting right now I'm actually in what was his bunkhouse. So I ended up buying his place where he lived. And there was a. There used to be this elk which I wish I could track it down now. It got. It got bought by a bar and then was in this bar for a long time and then I don't know, probably just got sold in some auction. But he used to have this elk hanging above the corner over here in this bunk house. It was like a big old mature bull, but I think it was like a five by six. It was like missing its bay time ugly mount. Old school mount. Right. But I think it was the only elk that he'd ever mounted. I don't know why I think it was, you know, he always had stories about it and that that elk meant a lot to him. Like he was back in the cellway when he killed it. And you know, I like to think about him hunting back then. This is probably in the 50s or 60s. And you know, I think like the cool thing about wilderness areas is like not a lot's changed in the area but the things that people go in with has changed. You know, he probably went in in his woolen clothes. He had a rifle, he had a. Was like a Weatherby, a 300 Weatherby and probably like a. I mean I remember the scope, it was pretty like small. It's probably like a three power scope. I don't even know if it was a variable scope. It was probably like a fixed. Might have been like a fixed six power scope or something like that. Right? Pretty straight tube, whatever. Zero range finder. My guess is he didn't have. I don't know if he would have binoculars wouldn't have worn them very often. Like shitty binoculars in a pouch that might have had probably just used this fixed, whatever 5, 6 baroscope to be honest. And an elk would come out and it's like they sighted their guns in however high at 100. I think he always was 3 inches high at 100. And, you know, and then just get close enough to know you're gonna kill the thing. And that's. That's the way that he did it. And honestly, there's just something awesome about hunting that way. Because as you. With all the technology that we have. And I'm guilty of it, too, right? You. I've done this so many times where you get to a point, you're like, I can shoot this far. This is especially for. For bow hunting, I would say, but rifle hunting, too, right? You get to, like, how far, you know, you can shoot, which maybe it's like, we'll call it your maximum range. And you're like, yep, this is where I'm gonna shoot from when there is the opportunity to get closer. I don't know how many stocks probably happen. And it's like, guys got to 60 yards and they're like, yeah, I can shoot at 60 yards, but there is an approach to get to 30. And there are some reasons maybe you'd want to hold back, but, like, what I've started doing is just like, I'm just going to get to 30. 30 is a chip shot compared to 60 or 60s. A chip shot compared to something else, right? Yeah, I can make those shots. I've made far shots and shoot my bow a lot, and I'm confident out to further distances. But, man, at 30 yards, I feel real good. Like, I feel like the animal reacts less when you shoot all kinds of things. Now there is the potential to blow it out. There's a potential to mess up the stock. But that's hunting like that. That's part of it. Getting that distance close where you don't have to even, like, really think about it. And that's one skill that I think a lot of people back in the day, that's just how they hunted. That was hunting, and it was just part of it. And I think that maybe it's like, you know, if you're within your. At the far end of your effective range, get closer. I shoot like, I. I enjoy all kinds of hunting. Bow hunting, compound bow hunting, longbow hunting, muzzleloader hunting, traditional muzzleloader hunting, rifle hunting. And I have. I love rifles that I can shoot a thousand yards with. But when I'm hunting, it's really fun to try to get within 100 yards or 100 yards, 200 yards a sub, 300 yards. On a. On my L count last year, I was like, had some bulls bedded and I could have popped out it. And I had like, there's a spot that I could easily have gotten to like 4, 500 yards and set up and made a shot. But instead I dropped down to get within that under 300 yard, 200 yard range. And one, it was just what I wanted to do. And two, it's like I could, I might as well try. And I think that that's one of the skills that, like, there are all the skills that involve being sneakier, you know, staying unseen, moving in. The skill of moving in and getting closer is I think we've like replaced the moving in and getting closer with technology, being able to shoot further. Okay. And I think that you're going to be a better hunter, have a better hunting experience and maybe even dare to say it, potentially more success by, you know, perfecting the skill of getting closer and what it takes to get closer. So that's my two cents on that. But that's an old school skill that I think, you know, before any of the other stuff, it was just like, am I close enough? How do you know? How do I know? You didn't need to know the exact range because you just needed to know how close you were. And that brings us to number seven, which I think a good old school skill to have is range estimation. This is one that I continually try to work on. On my hunt last week, there was a day we're sitting there in this real open country and I kept guessing, you know, I would guess, okay, one of the things I like to do is as I'm moving around, like, how far do I think that is? And then I'll verify it with my range finder. I think that's 30. Oh, it's 44. Okay. Because when you're in different new environments, whether if there's like a, a draw between you, things sometimes look further because there's so much air space below and across. And then sometimes when you're in like timber and cover and there's not anything else, like, things look closer. On that caribou hunt, it's just like wide open country and I pick a bush, be like, oh, that looks like 20 yards. It's 40 yards. What? Okay, I really have to recalibrate my range estimation. We've got laser rangefinders where we can, you know, practice all the time and verify it. Don't have to pace it off. But on this last elk hunt that I was on last week, you know, my range fighter battery I could tell was going out and we're in some pretty good open stuff. And I'm like, man, we're Very reliant on these rangefinders, especially with modern bows. Especially so it's like okay if the rangefinder goes out, even if you're close. Like you either get so close you can just use any pin because it doesn't really matter, you're just that close or you get good at estimating range with both a archery and a rifle. I think that being able to estimate range is a really good, just old school skill to have. I think about bow hunting success over the years, right. And if you wanted to, let's say like, I mean archery success has definitely increased. And I think it's just because the technology that we have and just more efficient with what we've got, more efficient bows. The rangefinder is probably the single most, I would say like archery specific tool that has increased success in a way knowing exactly how far something is. Most shots that were missed back in like when I was starting bow hunting was because you just guessed it wrong. It was difficult. Like if they just. I'm not saying that they should, but if like if they were like, hey, we need to, you know, make archery hunting a little more difficult. Cause the success rates are going high and we could offer more tags. If they just got rid of range finders, like honestly the success rates would plummet. But I think that in a lot of situations, just range estimation is just an absolute good skill to have understanding. And there's a bunch of ways you can do it, right. If you're bow hunting, you can compare the animal in the size of your scope or site housing. If you're bow hunting, ray fonting your scope, that kind of thing to kind of estimate the range. You can also just practice as you're moving around. You've got laser rangefinder, pick things as you're moving and constantly guessing the range and then constantly verifying. I think that that's the best way to build that skill. And in new environments I try to practice and hone that all the time. Last year I owe my mule deer that I shot with my bow to just accurate range estimation. I was already at full draw. The buck ran out. You know, I had pinned a few things within that zone, but not where that deer was. Like there's a tree blocking the way and you know, made an accurate guess and shot it. A couple of weeks later I was elk hunting and made an inaccurate estimate on an elk and missed it. Okay. So like it goes both ways. But really understanding and honing in that range estimation I think is a really good skill to have. And then number seven, I Think a skill that maybe, I don't know, it's just a good skill to know and have is how to sharpen a knife, have some kind of form of knife sharpener and know how to put a good edge back on your knife. It's really important because a sharp knife does way better work when it comes to processing. But also then you aren't afraid to utilize your knife in a way, I think. And this is just, this is just me talking. I'm not trying to disparage any things I've used. Replaceable blade. I used replaceable blade knives in the past and I just kind of got, you know, it seems like everybody would always have those replaceable blade knives and then nobody would carry a knife sharpener. Nobody knew how to sharpen a knife and then also nobody had a knife that you could do work with. Right. Like you are not sorry, but you are not like trying to. When you go to build a fire using a replaceable blade knife to really get in there and create some dry kindling or shavings that burn, you aren't, you know, it's not great for cutting rope when you're going to hang a cord or it's not great for a lot of things. And I just like to keep it simple. So I just like, I really just like having a solid fixed blade knife that I can do everything with and don't have to think about it and then being able to touch it up and sharpen it when I need to and get a really good edge back on it fairly quickly and just understanding too when to sharpen that knife. Okay. I like to keep mine sharp and I'll like hone it throughout the process. A lot of people don't want to take the time to do that, but I think that that's like important and knowing that, you know, so I mean like there are pull through knife sharpeners which I have no problem against. Like they definitely work. But it depends on your knife too and the blade angle of the knife you've got and what your knife's made out of. If you've got like a magnacut blade or if you've got, you know, like a non stainless blade, those are gonna sharpen a lot easier than your stainless blades. But your stainless blade will probably hold an edge a little bit longer and be a little bit more difficult to sharpen. So depending on your, the blade angle and other things, I think it's, it's just good to kind of, you know, have something for the knife that you're using that you can sharpen it with. Last week, I forgot my knife sharpener and I happened to have like one of the pull through ones in my truck, so I threw it in. But, like, the blade angle wasn't great and I. It was hard for me to get, like, I didn't really want to grind my knife back down and change the blade angle, so I just kept touching it up with the ceramic side and it worked. I got through the elk fine because the knife was really sharp going into the field, and it was fine. And I got back to my truck, dug through even more. I had one, like, in my. It was in my decked box, like under a bunch of stuff, and then like touched it, finished sharpening it, sharpening it, and putting it back. But I think that, like, just. Just getting a knife, sharpening it, practicing sharpening your knife before you get out in the field, that's just like a basic skill that I think everybody should know and definitely one of the old school skills that just make you a better hunter and more efficient with the tools that you have in the field. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that podcast. You know, it's fun to look at some of the things that maybe our grandparents did or some of the skills that even myself. It's almost like, you know, they kind of go dormant because you've got this other technology that replaces the need to know certain things. And then you find yourself in a situation where your range finder battery goes out and you're like, dang it, what do I do now? But just developing and honing some of those skills, I think is integral to hunting and kind of keeping that traditional part of hunting alive in a way as well. You know, I enjoy utilizing a lot of the same technologies everyone else does. I'm not gonna pretend that I don't. But I also value, you know, the skills and things that are needed to be a successful outdoorsman, woman, what have you. And I think that that's all important as well. Another great skill to have is just the skill of the knowledge in the hunt. And I think that this podcast, that's one of the reasons that I. That I enjoy doing this podcast is being able to give you guys knowledge. There are other, you know, things that I've been involved with that I think are really good resources. Outdoor class being one of them. I've got some courses on outdoor class for those of you that aren't familiar. Outdoor class is like, I kind of think of this podcast, but like a more of a video portion where it lays a lot of the skills and things that you might need out in a visual way. It's awesome because you can kind of download those videos, watch them at your own leisure. I've got courses on there. Other people like Randy Newberg have courses on there. Corey Jacobson, a guy that I really look up to and enjoy talking with and learning from. And it's fun a guy like that. Where super successful elk hunter. Public lands. Calling elk is big things. Calling elk. And we have, you know, like when I talk with him, it's like we have like the same kind of. We've come to the same conclusion about the way that we like to elk hunt. Which is one of my favorite things about, you know, talking with other people that have found success in similar ways. Because you're like, man, it's funny. He does similar way of hunting that I do. And yet we came about it two different ways. There must be something to that. That's something that I really enjoy his stuff. So that's all available on there. And that's just outdoorclass.com you guys can sign up for those really great resource. And then you get all the courses within that. And then another thing that I wanted to talk about, maybe this is probably the most old school of things when it comes to hunting is hunting, conservation. And we're in September. I'm enjoying elk seasons. I'm enjoying in many ways, like a bountiful elk year. Seen a lot of elk. And a lot of that comes down to the conservation efforts of hunters when it comes to conserving land across the west, getting elk populations reestablished and other things. The Rocky Mountain Elk foundation is the reason that we have a lot of the opportunities. You know, I try to follow a lot of their stuff stuff as well. And man, constantly they're adding access points and working with land partners and managers to maybe buy a piece of private and then and convey it to the state or to the BLM or to the Forest Service any way that they can to create access for hunters, to create habitat projects, to create, you know, studies on elk and other things. They fund a lot of studies and other things. But if you're listening to this podcast and you're like, I'm an elk hunter, or you're not an elk hunter, but you're like, I want to go elk hunting. What can I do? I think that just the first step would be getting a membership to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. I've had a membership for a long time. I'm currently a life member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. You know, that's something that for me I, you know, to get a life membership was something where I just, you know, decided a long time ago. I was like, I just kind of put away a little bit of money every year. Like every time I bought an elk tag, I put X amount into just a savings account that was like my life membership savings account. It's like every time I went on an elk hunt I kind of taxed myself a little bit more to, you know, I was always a member. But you know, just to add to that, to build up to that life membership because I just think it's an important thing to, to do and to support. And so one of the things about hunting and conservation is it goes hand in hand and, and you know, we talk a lot about tips and tactics on this podcast, but I think conservation is that thing that's kind of the driving force behind all of it, the reason that we get to enjoy a lot of these things. And so I just encourage people, you know, join a conservation organization especially for some of the animals that you chase or want to chase or desire to chase. And it's not just elk that benefit from RMEF activities. It's mule deer, it's sheep, it's songbirds, it's fish, it's, it's everything, right? And it's access which is huge these days. So just some, something else that I wanted to throw in there mid September to think about. You know, as always guys feel free to reach out via social media and anything else. I really enjoy hearing your guys success as just a little bit of a, I want to before I close, kind of a little bit of a life update too many of you know that I purchased the Day six Aero company have been in running that as well as all doing all this other stuff. And you know, one of the cool things about day six and what we've been doing with it, like everybody that's worked there has continued to work there and we just have like some of the greatest people, you know, running and doing and pushing and building and we've just had a lot of awesome new customers, many of you guys out there. And I just want to say thank you guys so much for the support and for those of you that didn't know or haven't, you know, or like, hey man, I need some new arrows. If you guys, if you need new arrows or you're a bow hunter, you're getting into bow hunting, I encourage you to check out day six gear.com check out day six arrows also. You know, I believe not Only do I believe that we make and manufacture the best arrows, the highest quality arrows out there. We also make and manufacture, in my opinion, the highest quality broadheads that are designed for like, the design of these broadheads is designed for penetration. It's designed for hunting. It's designed for, you know, for the most part, like, you know, larger animals like elk and moose and mule deer. Right. But we also have broadheads that are a little bit wider for those closer whitetail type hunts. They're all fixed blade broadheads, all stainless, so they aren't going to rust in your quiver. Highest quality materials, tightest tolerances. They're made right here in America. We manufacture all the components and everything right in. In Wyoming. So it's just, it's been an incredible process and I just, you know, it goes worth mentioning. We, you know, we've been. Guys have been working around the clock for the most part to, to make sure orders are getting filled and all the stuff's getting out. We've been kind of, you know, increasing the production as well. But we're very cognizant of keeping the, the quality exactly the best that that is out there. And so I thank you guys so much for the support. If you are going into a hunting season, you've got a hunting season later on this year. You've got. Whatever. Maybe now's the time. If you're gonna, if you're gonna switch arrows, don't switch right before next season when everybody else is get some new arrows now and then practice with them all winter, right. And, and go into next season, prepare. Some people are like, oh, I need new arrows, but I'll wait till next, next season. Now is the time. Now. Now is always a good time because one of the things that we see and we're noticing is like, a lot of people get their arrows right before. And I've been guilty of this too, right? It's like, dang, I need some more arrows. And then it's just, you know, you get a backlog right before the season. So if you're like, hey, I think I'm going to switch to those arrows, now is as good a time as any. So thank you guys so much for the support. That means a lot. And I'm gonna say until next week, let's kick it old school and catch you guys later.