Show Notes
In this episode of the Antler Up Podcast, host Jeremy Dinsmore is joined by Tom Runscavage to explore the balance between family life and the passion for hunting. Tom reflects on how becoming a parent has profoundly changed his outlook, shaping his approach to both hunting and life. They discuss the importance of self-awareness in managing family dynamics while still pursuing personal hobbies, emphasizing that preparation and enjoying the journey are just as critical as achieving the end goal. Tom also shares why building a history with a hunting spot and cherishing fleeting opportunities can make all the difference in the field.
Tom dives into his hunting gear setup, highlighting the importance of having a reliable clothing system, windproof layers, and organized packs for comfort and convenience during hunts. He discusses the features of his bow setup, the effectiveness of his broadheads, his successful 2024 season in the state of PA where he was able to tag a 135inch public land buck and his experiences navigating the ever-evolving gear market. They also touch on the role of community and shared experiences in hunting, offering a fresh perspective on how hunting is as much about connection as it is about success. Whether you’re a seasoned hunter or balancing family with your outdoor pursuits, this episode is packed with relatable insights and actionable advice.
So, grab your gear, sit back, and join us on this episode as we Antler Up with Tom Runscavage! Stay tuned, stay safe, and Antler Up!
Show Transcript
Antler Up Podcast (00:00.346)
What's up everybody. Welcome back to this week's episode of the Antler podcast. I'm joined by one of my best friends. I got run sat scavage on Tom. You don't have worry about me booting you off, kicking off the podcast.
Tom Runscavage (02:27.264)
Maybe it's just the cold or whatnot, but recently I've been on a tear on social media, which is usually not my thing, a couple things that set me off recently, and I'm just like, eh, you know what, it's a good day to get kicked off Facebook.
Antler Up Podcast (02:40.782)
Yeah, no, no, that's good stuff, man. And, and sometimes it's warranted. You know what I mean? It's, it's just like one of those things that sometimes it just, is and things, you know, needs to be said, I guess sometimes. You know, that's speaking, speaking from, from your, point of view and that's, you know, respect that. Yep. Everybody has their own opinion about it. So, man, I appreciate you taking the time, obviously with Drew being the little one who got the birthday.
Tom Runscavage (02:54.272)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (03:00.386)
Yeah, everyone's got their own point of view.
Antler Up Podcast (03:10.19)
Uh, three days away, all that stuff. So, uh, you know, your first he'll be one. And then I have the two, baby was already one and time's fine. I just was telling you about my oldest. It's funny. Cause I was setting up a, an episode with my buddy, Tom other Tom and, from, Philly area. And we were talking, he's like, Oh man, I know you have the, have the baby. I was like, man, she's actually the easy one at this point. It's the, my oldest one that has something for the five days during the week that
Tom Runscavage (03:10.248)
Yeah, three days away.
Tom Runscavage (03:33.793)
You
Antler Up Podcast (03:39.778)
you know, because of my wife with the baby, like I'm usually the one being the chauffeur basically have taken Nora everywhere and picking her up and all that stuff. So, man, sometimes by the time I get home, I'm like, I just want to go either hang out, get ready for tomorrow, all that type of stuff. And so, she's, she's the tough one. I guess you could kind of say at this point, man, but,
Tom Runscavage (03:42.231)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (03:51.745)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (03:58.339)
Yeah, me and my wife were talking and were like, at this point, the thought of having a second right now, it's like, how would we even manage? It's like we're just getting by already, with two of us watching them, so I don't know. We'll see what happens when the time comes.
Antler Up Podcast (04:13.656)
Yeah, dude. It's, you know, it's weird how the our world works in that scheme of things. Like I don't feel like people really tell like, I mean, there's no really way to prepare for a child, I guess you can kind of say there really isn't. but like, I guess what I would always tell people is like things change, like what, who you, who you're married to, to me personally, I think it changes them.
Tom Runscavage (04:28.736)
Yeah, there really isn't.
Antler Up Podcast (04:42.444)
you know, changes you as the same individual as well. Like obviously for hopefully for the better, but, you know, there is, there is some chemical makeup within our human bodies that I feel like once a child is brought into your life as the, as the parent, like the, the woman I'm married to right now, is definitely not the same woman that I, that I, you know, met when I was a senior in college at Penn State type of four deal.
Tom Runscavage (04:42.947)
yeah, yeah.
Tom Runscavage (05:04.613)
yeah, yeah, 100%.
Tom Runscavage (05:10.134)
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (05:10.616)
You know, but we, you go through those up and downs and you've, know, you fight through and all that type of stuff and, you figure it out and it's just, yeah.
Tom Runscavage (05:16.932)
Yeah, that's the joys of life and marriage and children, guess. It's like, every day is a new day. like you said, it kind of pushes you, both of you guys to kind of be a breaking point in times, whether it's lack of sleep, stress, mean, working full time still. And then of course, with this time of year, everyone's sick, whether it's she's sick, that I'm sick, or the baby's sick. It's just like, so yeah, the dynamic, I don't know, it just kind of...
Antler Up Podcast (05:32.184)
Hmm.
Tom Runscavage (05:43.748)
And then the night just kind of like regrouping yourself and being like, listen, like I knew I wasn't acting myself sometimes, or maybe I was a little rude or she was a little rude to me, what not, whatever it is. just like, I think you have to have that self-awareness and kind of acknowledge it and not let it like, of boil over. And then you get into huge fights and like just make it worse for the whole family. So it's definitely, like I said, every day is a new day. like I said, you gotta work things.
through as a team is kind of what I'm realizing.
Antler Up Podcast (06:15.438)
Yeah, dude. The one aspect too, for me, I remember when Carly was just born, uh, you know, last year and you're, and I remember her being home and giving my, like, I mean, she's infant at this stage, only a couple of weeks old and I'm downstairs and she liked, uh, when I would bounce on a, uh, pile ball. My wife had one, you know, when she was pregnant and trying to sit there and force the baby out, basically all that type of crap. And, uh, she liked when I would bounce on it and she would fall asleep and
Tom Runscavage (06:33.923)
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (06:44.438)
So I'd give my, my wife a couple hours of sleep and here I am just holding the baby bouncing up and down. I remember just, I I'm like, man, 10 years ago, when you were 27 dude with Nora, you wouldn't have done this. You know I mean? Like I know for a fact, I'd have been moaning and groaning so frustrated being like, what the hell? You know I mean? Like, I don't want to do this stuff. whereas now at that point in time, I just remember thinking to myself, like, you just gotta do it. You just gotta like,
Tom Runscavage (06:56.895)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hmm
Yeah, it's like, I don't know exactly.
Antler Up Podcast (07:11.854)
You know, it is what it is. It will be okay. It doesn't last forever. I mean, each, each stage of, of your kid's life is only so go so quick and you don't even know when it's over. Yeah. Basically. Cause you're like,
Tom Runscavage (07:22.359)
Yeah, Yeah, just, you're already at the next stage. You kind of sit back and then when you like look at pictures and say, I remember like doing that this month or whatever or year, I'm sure. So.
Antler Up Podcast (07:34.318)
crazy, man. Well, we'll, uh, we'll, we'll, we'll put a pin in, in the, in the kid talk type stuff for people, people are probably like, the hell? Um, yeah, I know, dude, that's so funny. Um, but dude, I, I, uh, before we, before we dive into just some of the things about the season and some gear, like, cause some of the topics I really wanted to dive into, um, we'll have to, uh, once we're off the record and stuff like that, you'll have to look at your schedule.
Tom Runscavage (07:38.85)
Yeah.
Yeah, what are we Dan and Mark right now?
Antler Up Podcast (08:00.802)
to see you about montage. We'll have to see about tack this year, all that. definitely things that we want to hit up. those are just fun days, dude. I, I watched that video that I posted of us shoot montage just every couple of times, just because of what a blast, so much fun to, to look back on. And, you know, for you too, how great is it that it's just at montage? Yeah. Yeah. So I mean, that's, that's awesome. So we'll definitely have to, get those squared away here,
Tom Runscavage (08:12.184)
Yeah, that was awesome.
Tom Runscavage (08:20.998)
Oh yeah, it's like 20 minutes away, not even.
Antler Up Podcast (08:29.678)
you know, just to make sure that hopefully you're able to make it all that stuff. But do you think those events helped you at all? I know you only did, you know what I mean? Like what's your kind of take on those type of events?
Tom Runscavage (08:43.334)
My takeaway is that it's a fun time and I enjoy being with friends and I mean I didn't really take it seriously I was like I had like two different batches of arrows like little add arrows I'm like I want to get rid of like I don't even care like so I definitely didn't take it I would say seriously and like trying to get better thing which again like maybe maybe this year I'll try to a little bit more because I do have an Elcon coming up in September I'll be going on and
Antler Up Podcast (08:57.08)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (09:12.967)
I need to get a little more prepared and it seems like every other season I've had these kind of bad shots on whether it's elk or deer and I've whiffed when there really weren't that hard of shots and now it's the time issue for me with the baby. It's like I didn't shoot as much this summer as I normally do. But yeah, I definitely want to try to take it a little bit more.
We get a little more practice in this year in the off season and maybe take it a little more seriously when we do do it. Cause I do have like the, know that when we did tack that year, I didn't even have like my farthest pin was 60 yards. And like, was just kind of like a Kentucky windaging it a lot for some of the shots. So now they have the slider, I can at least get out to think at least 90 yards. So that gives me something to work with. So.
Antler Up Podcast (10:04.366)
Yeah, those, I feel like those type of events, depending on how you attack it, like you said, like, you know, you went in and just had fun and like mosh posh of arrows and stuff like that. And dude, like you still shot great. Like there was a, you know, when we were taking, keeping track of the, yeah, absolutely. That dude, that one downhill shot, you had a really great, it was like a 70 yard hard cut downhill. you, you, you, uh, pinwheeled that one, which was, was a cool shot. And like for those type of things.
Tom Runscavage (10:17.126)
Yeah, a couple of shots I was pretty happy with.
Tom Runscavage (10:25.591)
yeah, that's cool.
Antler Up Podcast (10:33.282)
It's not a score like an ASA event. You know what I mean? You are going and there's ways that you could still have fun, but gain confidence. And that's where I always, maybe my mindset was in the wrong place a couple of years ago, like on those first two trips to tack when I'd get like the hiccups and the jitters and the whoops, you know I mean? The yips and all that type of stuff. Whereas like now I don't, it doesn't bother me.
Tom Runscavage (10:55.898)
Yeah, yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (11:00.05)
obviously shooting last year in the summer of those ASA events, those local events, like those helped a lot. but those, those events though, if like you said, going out West, getting, there's not a lot of places where I'm assuming you have a chance to go out and drop a 75 yard bomb on a huge decline. Do you know I mean? Like where that could potentially be a shot or a, or a incline ordeal as well. So yeah, you kind of could.
Tom Runscavage (11:20.966)
Yeah, no, yeah, exactly.
Antler Up Podcast (11:28.414)
And what's nice about montage specifically is the crowd is definitely not on the level of tack. So those types of shots where it's like, if you felt like, I could do a better, let me shoot, let me sling one more at it guys. Like you're able to do that. You know what mean?
Tom Runscavage (11:44.325)
Yeah, I don't think once we got past that maybe like the first couple I don't think anybody was being behind us for most of the whole the whole course that we did so You could have easily done in multiple shots if you if you wanted to
Antler Up Podcast (11:49.816)
Mm-hmm. No. Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (11:56.546)
Yeah. So that, so yeah, I think like you said, if you take it, take it in a, an approach where you want to get something out of it rather than just going up and, know, which you could totally go and BS with your friends. There's nothing wrong with that. But if like you said, if you have something coming up, it's, they could play a role. Like I know, I know Dudley who does that whole series of like these real life situations. I don't know about that per se.
Tom Runscavage (12:05.819)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (12:21.585)
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (12:22.082)
but you could find yourself in a real wonky position and you're like, shit, I have to step, with one foot on a rock and another foot like this and have a shot. like it, there's some truth to it, you know,
Tom Runscavage (12:29.009)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (12:32.814)
Yeah, think, yeah, I think honestly I take it as like a pre-test or whatever to like the real, like you gotta still practice on, like maybe try to still reach out those distances on your own. But I think that kind of like, again, a down hit, whether it's a steep angle or whatnot, or you're gonna have one or two chances, but at least it's kind of in your memory, like, like this happened when I shot the arrow at this distance or this angle so that if you are in that hunting situation where it happens, you.
Antler Up Podcast (12:38.35)
Mm-hmm.
Tom Runscavage (13:01.321)
kind of have some mental recall of like, I remember doing this and this happened. So yeah, it definitely, it definitely could help. I'm sure.
Antler Up Podcast (13:09.804)
Yeah. Dude, you had a great fun year in Pennsylvania, kind of short and sweet to the point and got it done a little bit.
Tom Runscavage (13:16.083)
Yeah, yeah, was, so for me, like the season kind of, I was actually happy with myself in the summer. I was able to get out and got cameras in all my spots that I traditionally have hunted. And one spot that I've kind of like the year before, was kind of just had a camp, had some cameras for some long-term intel to see if it was worth hunting. But it ended up being like, it's just kind of like a miserable drive, like between like, it's kind of like.
I have to drive kind of like a public road for a gravel road for a while. And then from there, I have to cross a creek and I have to climb up a mountain pretty much like think it's about like, I think 400, 500 feet incline I have to get to, to get up to where I need to go. So it just, it just is too much. Like what I realized is that with my time, I said going into the season, I had kind of X amount of days. Like I had to take off me my way from kind of work opposite schedules. work like seven 12s in a row. She's
off those days with the baby and then I, when I'm off, I'm full dad duty for those days. So if I want to go hunting, I needed to take off those days in advance like months prior to the season. So I knew it was going to be a little challenging and I kind of wanted to stay semi-close to my vehicle in regards of like, I don't want to have to have a 45 minute walk out or anything like that. That's just going to kind of put more time on me getting.
could either go in early enough in the afternoons or mornings or whatever it is in getting out. So I wanted to have closer options. So I got my cameras out and then pretty much like this, really didn't get the, mean years prior I'd check my cameras like once a month, maybe like once every two months. Like I didn't get back until maybe two weeks before the season. It was like mid September when I finally got to check my cameras. And I really only checked the one spot that the year before I had success in.
Antler Up Podcast (15:12.419)
Mm-hmm.
Tom Runscavage (15:12.939)
I knew there was nice buck in the area. yeah, mid September I went in, I was able to check a cameras, of confirm there was a couple nice deer on camera. One deer in particular, I had him on camera back in 2022 and he was a real nice nine pointer at that point probably. If I had to guess, he probably was 140 class, maybe close to 150 at that point. 23.
I ended up not getting any pictures of him, me personally. have some other buddies that are in the area and they had pictures of him that year. And then going to this season, he got even bigger. I was thinking he was probably like high 170s, 180 class 10 pointer this year. So I ended up getting him on some of my cameras in the summertime and whatnot. So that was kind of exciting, but really my...
Antler Up Podcast (16:00.526)
Hmm.
Tom Runscavage (16:10.322)
my thought process and my mental, like where I was at with my hunting going into the season, where I thought I was gonna be and what I wanted to achieve. I didn't really wanna like necessarily, I wasn't gonna put all my eggs in the basket to chase him. I knew there was multiple good deer. Like I said, I had only so much time to be out. My goal this year, I just really wanted to get a buck and bring it home and like.
have my picture with my son by my side and that was kind of my ultimate goal. Whatever buck that was gonna be, that's what I wanted. again, because at the end of the day, who really cares what buck you shot in 22, 23, 24, 25? But maybe when I'm older and my son looks back and sees him as a baby, hold onto a rack of a buck. He's gonna be like, oh, my dad was a pretty good hunter or whatnot. And maybe he'll think it's cool. That's kinda.
Antler Up Podcast (16:49.742)
Right.
Antler Up Podcast (17:00.718)
Hell yeah.
Tom Runscavage (17:03.436)
what I wanted to achieve. So going into the season, was able to, I actually was able to get out more than I thought I was gonna be able to between like some afternoon hunts where like, was, don't know, I'm sure you felt this way as a new parent. Like I was just nervous initially by other people watching, watching them and like not like knowing their routine, his routine and everything. So finally I was getting a little bit more comfortable. like, there's some afternoons where my, I had my,
parents watching for a little bit and I went out not to my good spots, but local spots, kind of early season and whatnot. And there were some days my wife like ended up being off from work and she's like, you can go out like I'm like sure. She's like, yeah, go ahead. So that was pretty awesome. So I was able to get a couple more times. But yeah, it ended up going like for me in the spots that I hunt like that October 26 to the 30th, that's kind of like the first
stretch of like really good days and that's when I knew I wanted to be in there. like, I don't know, I guess we can talk about cameras in a little bit, that's historically what I've found out. Like those are the days I want to take off from work. I want to be, in a stand. So I didn't end up seeing any deer then on those days, but some of my cameras did have pictures in the, in the mornings and some daylighting and I did actually catch that buck on camera. think it was.
October 26th and maybe the 30th as well. Both of them were just like that, like less than an hour before, before a sunrise. So I was like, that got me pretty fired up. I'm like, okay, like he, again, he's, he's semi in this area. seemed like compared to 2022, he seemed a little bit more like he was on camera more often. Like he wasn't, he was sporadic a couple of years prior, but he was seem to be kind of focusing on this area. And so that was pretty cool.
So then nothing those days and then the next kind of stretch of days that I really like to hunt and that historically have been good is anywhere that November 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th are kind of have all been good on my cameras and kind of where I hunt. So I think for this stretch, I want to say, yeah, I was off the 6th, 7th, 8th. So I was hunting those days. I think the 6th, I didn't see a deer. I'm going in right now at this point. I don't think I've, I've seen zero deer.
Tom Runscavage (19:24.789)
in the stand at this point, November 6th. November 7th comes in. I'm hunting the same tree that I shot my deer the year before on November 8th. I'm in the stand in the morning. It ends up being around like 9 a.m. and I just happened to glance over to my left. I'm kind of in this spot where this, what I'm kind of realizing these spots is that keying on the swamps has kind of been key for me, but not these like,
Antler Up Podcast (19:52.375)
Okay.
Tom Runscavage (19:53.4)
There's some big swamp systems, but I'm looking at the ones that are like maybe no bigger than maybe like half football size, like 50 yards to 100 yards are kind of what I'm looking for. These smaller swamps that are just real thick and kind of, cause there's not a lot, there is diversity in regards to they've done like cutting and other things around. But those swamps give a little bit more habitat for the deer. So I'm trying to like focus my,
Antler Up Podcast (20:02.988)
Right. Right.
Tom Runscavage (20:22.509)
where I'm setting up is as much of those swamps, if I can get in the middle of them, that's where I wanna be. So the one little swamp to my left side, I just happened to glance and I see some brown moving. So I pulled my binos. Initially I'm like, think it's a doe. So it ends up lifting its head, it is a doe. She starts kind of like coming towards me. The next thing I know, all I see is a rack start chasing her from behind. And immediately when I saw the rack, I'm like, my God, like that was the...
the giant deer that I had on camera, this, again, 180 class deer, whatever he ended up being, come chasing after her. And I was like, I was excited, nervous, and was just like in awe, just like seeing the deer. And the doe kind of cut away from me and kind of worked its way, her way towards the edge of the swamp. And I'm like, like she's, like he's right on her path. Like wherever she's going, he's following. So I'm like.
I knew the only chance I was gonna have is if this doe came directly within range. she kind of, initially I thought she went kind of away, then I thought she was gonna start kind of cutting towards me, but then she kind of just stayed on the edge of the swamp and he kind of followed her and I have a three minute video on my phone, just like I pulled it up, I'm like trying not to shake, I'm like pressed it against my bow and I'm just like recording this buck like just hanging out on the edge of the swamp and I'm like.
just like I was in awe. Like I didn't even like at that point didn't even try to shoot him. I just wanted to film him and everything. And then I'm like after about three minutes, I'm like, I bring my rangefinder up to see kind of how far away he is. And so far he ends up being like maybe like 40 to 45 yards. A little bit of a poke again, I wish I would have had a little bit more practice at those distances. And I wish I would have, again, I was so enthralled at seeing him with that.
slider that I had I should have I have a 20 30 40 yard pin but thinking back now I probably should have got my first pin and dropped the dial down maybe to between 40 and 45 yards because he ended up it's it's kind of like this with a swamp that he's at it's it's like a water will run it runs off and goes down this little hillside so it's kind of it's complete open shooting lane there's no trees nothing like that blocking it so that was
Antler Up Podcast (22:17.858)
Mm-hmm.
Tom Runscavage (22:41.699)
my first thought of, okay, well I actually do have a clear shooting lane if he does give me an opportunity. So then I'm ranging, I'm ranging, and I'm like, okay, like if he's on this edge, I think he's about 40 yards. So he kind of steps out from the swamp and kind of just hovers on the edge, but like open, like he's broadside at this point. So that's when I'm like, you know what, like how often do you have a chance at seeing a 180 class deer on PA public land? So I end up.
Antler Up Podcast (23:08.812)
Right.
Tom Runscavage (23:10.48)
I'm like, all right, like this seems doable. So I ended up pulling it back. I said I had my 40 yard pin, my bottom pin. I tried to put it mid body and ends up, the arrow goes and I'm like, that actually looks really good. Like I could just see it like flying through the air and my left and right look perfect. And then it just sinks down and I see it like, it just goes right underneath them. And I see it like hit, I know, was like swamp brush or whatever like that stump. like, when I went over there later to find the arrow, like completely split the.
Antler Up Podcast (23:33.184)
Stump. Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (23:39.201)
the stump in half, he kind of just doesn't know what happens. He kind of just trots off a little bit. He's standing there and then like, Doe kind of more, more so runs off. So he's looking around like doesn't know what to do. And then like sees the Doe kind of taken off and he just follows after. And that just was like, again, it's weird to like not be upset about it, but like it just was such a cool encounter and like, like a once in a lifetime opportunity. I mean, obviously I wish I would have hit him and would have, would have
harvested the deer but uh to have the opportunity was pretty awesome and yeah I went over to the arrow like said nothing nothing was on it and uh long story short ends up that deer ended up dying I don't know exactly how I don't know like I mean that was 9 15 in the morning chasing a doe on November 7th so other hunters were in the area I don't know if somebody else hit him or what happened but he ended up being found by like a hiker or a biker of some sort um and
And that was that, so. Kind of not really the ending you want to see for a deer like that, because I don't think, like I I don't know if maybe Hunter ever reached out to the guy and said, hey, like I shot this deer or whatever happened, like where the rack is now, but like it's not the ending you want to see, but like said, it's a mega, that's for sure. and then, yeah, you've seen the pictures. Then the next day I'm just like,
Antler Up Podcast (24:56.931)
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (25:00.622)
He wasn't was a mega
Tom Runscavage (25:07.474)
From that swamp, just decided to my platform. I moved about 50 yards over closer to that swamp. And the next day I'm sitting and it's, again, I went in the morning this time. I remember it was a real windy day and I'm just sitting there like, what the hell am I doing here? I find it now three days in a row, not full days, just because, again, with the babe and the wife, I didn't wanna overdo my time and I appreciated the time that I was given extra already.
And just like, I don't really want to be here. Like I just want to be home, spending time with my family. Like it's just, given me this much opportunity to be out. I've already had my chance at a buck. And next thing I know a doe comes barreling out of the swamp that actually where that buck was, was walking. This doe came out of that swamp. And I'm all like, cause it was so windy. I'm kind of like leaning forward against the tree and my saddle. And she came right behind me I'm like trying to take my hood off.
and to pull my beanie off and like it just was a cluster. So she kind of darts off another direction. I'm like, geez, like, all right, well, if any, any buck or whatever comes out, it's going to go the direction that she went, which is away from me. So I'm just, I just ended up having my bow in hand. I'm just standing there. Nothing immediately came by and then like, I don't know, probably within five minutes, all of sudden I just hear crashing again now through the swamp and I just see a rack and
As soon as I saw the rack, recognized it as like a buck that I had on camera from the summer when I checked my, or not summer, but September when I checked my camera. And he ends up going right in front of my camera and where that doe stopped, because that doe actually stopped to check a scrape quick. And I don't think he knew what happened, that she darted off the other direction, because he ends up coming like within, I don't know, 12 yards. He starts angling down towards me. So he just kind of started walking by. I ran him and just.
had my bow up already and I just drilled them and he went maybe like, I don't know, 25 yards and I'd watched them fall over and that was that. yeah, it was again the same day as I shot my buck the year prior. It's 50 yards apart from the tree that I shot him the other buck the year before. And the ironic part is that camera that was there, again on a scrape, that doe hit the scrape, but my buck ended up being, I think he was like,
Antler Up Podcast (27:05.4)
That's the best.
Tom Runscavage (27:27.826)
just shy 135 for an eight pointer, which you saw the rack, it's, the mass on him is unreal. But between that buck and then that 180 class deer, both of them were within as close as five yards of the camera and that camera never picked up any of them. it just crazy, the whole camera debacle, which we can talk about, but like there's so much more you miss. Like the cameras don't pick up that like.
Antler Up Podcast (27:31.79)
It's Heavy.
Tom Runscavage (27:55.838)
Like if I checked that camera at end of the season, I would have been like, I'm so glad I didn't have this spot. But being in the stand and like knowing historically that, like deer were going traveling through this area. Like you just, you just kind of got to your faith in your skills of knowing kind of when deer are going to be on their feet, when they're moving, like what kind of sign you're around and travel routes and whatnot. That's more important than cameras.
Antler Up Podcast (28:00.93)
that day.
Antler Up Podcast (28:21.784)
Dude, and like you said, it's just, you have that sense of, of history within that spot. And that's why I like to like the understanding things at, at the club. Like for me, from like the last couple of years, it's just a matter of, hopefully you just picked the right day. just, just because of, I mean, there were times where if my dad would be on one spot and
Tom Runscavage (28:33.992)
Mm-hmm.
Tom Runscavage (28:39.379)
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (28:48.622)
he would be hunting by himself. I w wouldn't be up there and he was like, I don't know, like go here. He would go one spot and he would, he would have opportunities like this past year. He'd, he'd be the first to admit like the one that he blew, his shot opportunity. Like I was on the phone with them. so, so, never really told this story. Didn't have a chance to, but, when we, just killed my buck in Ohio and I just got done cleaning up and I was walking out and
Tom Runscavage (29:04.499)
Mm-hmm.
Antler Up Podcast (29:18.184)
he called me and he's like, I just had some more deer come funneling through and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. some really cool action. was like, well be ready. He just wanted to ask me something about my deer again. And next to, know, like I started telling him something and he's like, hold on, hold on, hold hold on. And he, just puts the phone in his pocket. So I could hear like something probably in his chest pocket or something. So I hear everything. I hear the leaves.
I hear the grunting, everything in my, and I could hear my dad moving and getting ready. And all of a sudden I hear, hear him just be like, Hey, or something. And I hear, or I actually hear him draw back his bow. And then I hear him say that, that make that noise. And then he shoots and I'm like, my God. Like, did he just shoot a buck with me on the phone? Like how cool would this be? And he's, I could hear him and he's like, he's like,
Tom Runscavage (30:11.485)
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (30:16.586)
I'm like, what? He's like, I think I shot under him again. I'm like, my gosh, dad. You know I mean? Just cause that this is his second year, second year in a row. And, that might've even been the second buck this past year that he missed that opportunity on and all that, that type of stuff. But history was telling us in that spot, you know what I mean? Like just when, when you have an area like that, man, it's, don't want to say it's, it's bulletproof, but it's, it's a, it's a
Tom Runscavage (30:17.895)
Thank
Tom Runscavage (30:22.621)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (30:37.438)
Yeah, it's...
Antler Up Podcast (30:45.602)
you have such a high odds of seeing deer and, and hopefully you get a buck that's worthy that you're worthy enough that you want to take that you're, you know, if that's what you're after and you have that opportunity. mean, for individuals like yourself and I'm in like, is huge now with, with what we got going on and what other people probably have in their lives doing and stuff like that. Like that's, know, that's it's, it's don't get me wrong. Sometimes guys want that adventure go out.
Tom Runscavage (31:03.144)
Yeah, yeah, it's...
Antler Up Podcast (31:13.248)
not see deer like what you were doing for the first little bit and keep going and chasing and earning it in a different way. Man, have at it. I'll tip my cap to you. All that fun stuff. Then there's other guys that want to see deer have that opportunity. I mean, nothing pisses me off more when I come home from a hunt and my wife's like, would you see it? I'm like, nothing. Or I only saw this and it's like, you take all that time. You're like, shut the.
Tom Runscavage (31:34.514)
Nothing there.
Yeah, that's the worst. Yeah. My wife knows for the most part that I'm not going to ever see a deer usually. So I'm I'm used to it. don't even like, it doesn't even bother me that if I don't see a deer for three hunts, four hunts, it's just like, it is the name of the game where I hunt at. Like I just, there's not a lot of deer. So it's just how it goes. And honestly, this spot too, I'm like not to give much away or anything like that, but like I'm not far from, from roads. Like I can.
here and see vehicles go by. like, so you don't need to be super deep to anymore like to because it's kind of everyone wants to go deep and whatever and that's great. There's definitely opportunities and I was doing that too as well. But again, I don't have the time to go a mile back and then hike out and everything like that. if you're just if you have good spots and you know that they're productive and you know where deer are like.
doesn't matter if it's two miles back or 200 yards from the road. If they're there, they're there. I think that's important to realize too.
Antler Up Podcast (32:41.24)
How was all the new gear or anything like that? Everything worked to your liking this year?
Tom Runscavage (32:48.423)
Yeah, so I'm like I'm pretty I wouldn't say it was another Facebook fight that I got in this week but another another topic about like X brand hunting clothing being the best brand or this why hunting clothing is is crappy or it's too expensive blah blah blah it's like I don't know people just need to find what works for them and like for me like I use multiple brands and like other certain systems that I like like
I really like Kuyo pants. I had the attack pants for years and they're, I mean, they're pretty beat up, I still like, they're super comfortable now and I really liked them. The last two seasons I've used like the pro pant, which has like kind of the, like the felt knee pad kind of built into it. So, and I like that they're a little bit more, they're a little bit more stiffer than the attack pant is and.
Antler Up Podcast (33:32.952)
Okay.
Tom Runscavage (33:40.374)
Surprisingly, I was like it was weird I was walking out one night and like a stick caught me wrong and I kind of tripped on it and like I ended up like ripping up a patch in the pants but I was able to get a little patch kit on Amazon and fix it but I was a little surprised because I thought they'd be a little bit more durable but besides that like I usually Kuyo pants are kind of what I like to run and then I mean I have bass players I don't remember if you I used to be a big Harlan Bo Hunter guy watched their stuff and they were into like that core four element so like
I a bunch of clothes from that, like a lot of base layers and stuff. And me personally, I just, like Merino wool as kind of my base layer underneath is what I'll usually rock. And then I've been a huge fan of like the Sikka heavyweight hoodie is just like a staple micro fleece hoodie that I always have with me and on. And then I like having a vest on over that whether if it's a windy day, I usually have the Jetstream vest, which I know you got the Jetstream jacket, but.
Antler Up Podcast (34:16.162)
Yeah, me too.
Antler Up Podcast (34:36.984)
Yep. Yep.
Tom Runscavage (34:37.953)
That's a great wind stopper layer. So usually I'll go, like I said, merino wool, then that micro fleece hoodie, then I'll wear usually the Jetstream vest. I also have Sika's Aero Lite vest. It's kind of like a synthetic puffy. That's nice too. And then I really like the, they have a Traverse jacket, I think they're called, or a hoodie. And that's just like a, it's like a Berber fleece lining.
Antler Up Podcast (34:55.32)
Mm-hmm.
Antler Up Podcast (35:06.423)
Okay. Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (35:07.115)
And like the outer layers, it's just, you can't make that jacket make noise. Like it's just like super quiet. It's pretty good at like, if there's a light drizzle or you're walking through some brush that has some dew on it or whatnot, it pretty does good job at not soaking through or anything like that. So that's usually kind of like the top layer I use. And then I like, I'm a huge, like I don't really like full.
full finger gloves so the first light fingerless are kind of, I don't know, that's like the gold standard I feel like of fingerless gloves. They're just like whatever, like 20 something bucks, I'll buy a new one every year or what not. They do hold up pretty well over time and then just get, I like the first light muff too as well. Put that around your waist and everything and then you can still keep your hands warm.
Antler Up Podcast (35:42.67)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (36:01.464)
And that's pretty much been my system the last couple years. I'll add new stuff here and there. I have the Stone Glacier, their light grummin, I think it's called, it's one of their puffies. Stone Glacier for their puffies are top notch. But the only thing is you gotta be careful, because puffies you can't go through anything with a lot of brush or stuff or you're gonna rip it apart. So this off season I just picked up the, it was on sale, it was like,
Antler Up Podcast (36:22.881)
Yeah, that way.
Tom Runscavage (36:30.874)
honestly around like a hundred ish bucks and you can get their, it's called their Mountain Evo jacket. So it's again, like a, it's it's got wind stopper and then it's also, it's got some, again, water resistance to it as well. But that's what I plan on wearing. Like on cold days when I want to wear a puffy, but I need something to like protect the puffy. I got this jacket, so we'll see how that goes. And I did pick up, my wife got me a pair of boots this Christmas.
Antler Up Podcast (36:35.704)
Okay.
Antler Up Podcast (36:50.798)
Mm-hmm.
Sweet man.
Tom Runscavage (37:00.041)
I've been rocking the Silewa, the Rapace. Kind of go hunt was where I first learned about them years ago and my boots are now going on think year four and they still actually are in pretty good shape but there's getting some wear to them. I just love them so much. I I want to have another pair. They're just kind of a real stiff leather boot and pair that with gators and I've like, I've crossed creeks and not had any issues with water.
getting into them for the most part like they hold like for all archery season I have no problems if it starts getting cold then I just I think most people know now but those Arctic Shield boot covers are our money just to put on over any kind of boots like that and you're golden so that's kind of been my like clothing footwear system I did pick up the tethered Predator V platform which
you were so kind to let me have your old Predator XL and I liked that and now that I got into the saddle and more comfortable I felt like I could get away with a smaller platform now, a new moveability. I just thought that had such a good amount of features for the price point between like that little angle, the MOLLE clip on the back, super easy to adjust the leveling and everything like that. I like that kind of
powder coating that they had on it. I I spray painted it like day one once I got it but the texture is really nice so that was good.
Antler Up Podcast (38:30.589)
Yeah, it's a good base color to go ahead and put other, you know, like the camo colors on it as well. So it's like a really nice base color that you don't have to darken it to do that already, which is nice.
Tom Runscavage (38:35.45)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (38:43.226)
Yeah, yeah, and then I think I had it when we went to Montage, but pack this year. In the past I've had the Mystery Ranch, which I love the Mystery Ranch. I packed out a deer the one year with it up on the mountain. I just this year, because I was sticking closer to the roads and I didn't need to go as far back, I picked up Stone Glacier, the Tokin pack it's called. I think it's like 2,600 for the size.
Antler Up Podcast (39:10.424)
Okay.
Tom Runscavage (39:13.338)
super lightweight and like water and abrasion resistant. It's a slightly a little bit noisy, but honestly like once I'm in the tree, I don't really go in my pack much. I don't eat snacks or do anything like that. And I keep the bag open and if I need to grab anything out of it, it's usually just dropping on the top and I don't really make noise with it. And that's been super, super nice. And the inside is well designed and you can actually buy some their aftermarket like little pouches.
So I have a medical pouch, then I have two drop pouches, one that's kind of like my tags, knife, and stuff like that. The other one has flashlight and those kind of gear. And I kind of have it organized in that way. And it's just a really convenient pack to have in the stand.
Antler Up Podcast (40:01.964)
Yeah, seeing that when we went into New York on that rifle and I was impressed with that. I think you had it at montage too, didn't you? Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (40:06.179)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think I got it like right before montage.
Antler Up Podcast (40:11.17)
Yeah, I was impressed with that. And like you said, it's, you know, the whole quiet thing, like on certain pieces of gear. know a lot of people go to extremes with stealth strips and all that type of stuff. And like you said, with the bag, that's the one aspect that like, if you're set up, you get things where you need to be. mean, how, how much really are you going crazy? Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (40:22.33)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (40:33.465)
Yeah, yeah, going in and out of it, exactly. It's like I'll have, there's another, he's a PA guy, innovating the outdoors, he's called. And I've gotten the last couple years, he makes really good, what do call it, like for the bow hangers and stuff like that, and the cans and everything. So I have, think, I have three hooks plus the bow hanger hooks. So like I usually do, obviously the bow, the pack, I keep a water bottle with a little like a paracord loop I put on.
and then the next one I use for my quiver. like, again, if anything I'm reaching forward to my bow, a drink of water, or like if I've wasted all my arrows shooting at 180 inch deer, I'm grabbing more. So after that, I said, I don't really need to go in my pack much to make much noise. I'm not eating tasty cakes or anything like that, so.
Antler Up Podcast (41:16.042)
Yep.
Antler Up Podcast (41:23.778)
Yeah, I know. That's the one thing I think I did a better job of this year was like last year, I didn't gain really much weight at all just because I was done really hunting super early. But like for me this year, it was like, okay, make sure you're not just you're eating a little bit healthier up there. And since I had to go to rifle season, basically, and all that stuff, and I did all right, I gained my weight during Christmas time when I was just eating
Tom Runscavage (41:32.838)
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (41:51.822)
like 5,000 cookies every day. But yeah, like for me, which was kind of cool for me was I finally had a chance to really wear like the heavier stuff from from Huntworth. Like for me, they actually came out with a kind of like a Berber set as well that they sell exclusively at Tractor Supply. Yeah, dude, it's actually like for I think for the bibs in the jacket, it would run you like
Tom Runscavage (42:02.981)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (42:09.221)
Okay.
Tom Runscavage (42:13.403)
Nice.
Antler Up Podcast (42:20.718)
think like 400 because I think it would be like or maybe just shy maybe like 360 for both pieces.
Tom Runscavage (42:22.628)
Okay. Yeah, that's like.
Yeah, exactly. Like, sick is like, with fanatic is like just that price for the jacket. like, you can.
Antler Up Podcast (42:32.364)
Right. So I ended up wearing that a couple on a couple hunts. It had the heat boost technology in it, which is just like a graphite. I mean, I need to do a little bit more testing with it to say like, this this thing works really well. I love the Grayland hoodie. I've worn that now for the last two years. And that has that property. The only thing that the Grayling hoodie in that Berber set does not have is the windproof. The Saskatoon set does.
Tom Runscavage (42:46.662)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (42:54.364)
Mm-hmm.
Tom Runscavage (42:59.407)
Okay.
Antler Up Podcast (43:01.964)
And dude, the other, one of my last hunts that I did go on was kind of a little bit windy. And I had, I had the Saskatoon jacket and vest on and dude, I, I was actually impressed with how I, like, I really didn't feel the breeze at all. I was, I was actually like, to be completely honest, I was really impressed cause there, I had the older generation of the first light solitude that did not have the windproof. know the newer version does.
Tom Runscavage (43:06.992)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (43:19.099)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (43:29.894)
Okay.
Antler Up Podcast (43:31.938)
But I remember because my dad has the older version two of that. And he was like, man, I feel that wind creep up, blah, blah, blah. And I, know, we're blast through this thing. And I'm like, I was actually all right, you know what I mean? Type of ordeal. But other times throughout the season when I would just wear the Grayland hoodie and maybe something that didn't not have it, like I would feel a little bit of that breeze. But that's where I kind of learned my lesson. I made sure I would
Tom Runscavage (43:38.961)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (43:54.205)
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (43:59.084)
always pack like at least the Saskatoon vest at minimum, even if I didn't need the jacket. Cause I love wearing like, like how you were saying earlier, like with the vest, I love wearing a vest, in that hunting situation. So.
Tom Runscavage (44:02.652)
Yeah, yeah.
Tom Runscavage (44:12.569)
I think a lot of guys like white-tail guys they kind of like look past the whole windproof stuff like it's it's usually like what's what's the heaviest warmest clothing I can find and like that wind it sometimes doesn't matter it'll go right through that stuff like you need windproof to some degree in your kind of clothing systems regardless again it's just we are in like the golden age of gear there's just so many options to choose from and the majority are good quality like you can't really go wrong with anything so it's just doing your research and kind of
Antler Up Podcast (44:25.163)
Yup.
Tom Runscavage (44:42.171)
knowing what you need to do is, again, go to YouTube, there's forums, you'll find a million things on it, guys recommending stuff.
Antler Up Podcast (44:51.372)
Yeah, no, that's good. What about? I'm trying to think what's your plan for this year with the with a bow or because I know you were saying like maybe you still on the fence. Not sure what you want to do.
Tom Runscavage (44:58.846)
Ugh.
Yeah, my buddy who owns like a boat shop down the road from me just texted me today saying a left-handed, I don't know, the Lyft X, he just got one in. So I told him like prior, like to let me know and I want to shoot it, but it's tough, man. I don't know. It's, I have that Elcon coming up in September and like, I'm trying to save up for that to pay for. Cause this year, so last, I've been out to Colorado three times, all have been like public land.
Antler Up Podcast (45:11.438)
Okay.
Tom Runscavage (45:30.814)
Not last year, the year before, I was out for elk with guys that live out there. And they set up a drop camp and like I was out there for 14 days, hunting with them. And I had multiple, had shot at two elk and unsuccessful when I, my arrow deflected off a branch. The other one I ended up hitting high and just never, just didn't hit vitals. So this year I'm like, I don't have two weeks to go out. And my thing was like trying to find like a small like,
little like family run operation that's reasonably priced and that like my one buddy um has been he hasn't gone out anywhere for like a western hunt before so we found this operation i'm excited to go to it and stuff it's it's gonna be a five-day hunt so um i'm excited i'm saving up for that so i don't know if the bow is gonna happen right now and i also don't want to change my whole setup like we said about time like i don't have the time to set up and practice as much as i want to and i've
Antler Up Podcast (46:15.47)
Nice.
Tom Runscavage (46:28.701)
The bow I shoot now, it's Matthew's Halon. I've had it since 2000. I think that was a 16 bow. And I have lot of check marks from different animals that I've killed on it. I might as well just maybe do one more season with the bow. And arrow setup, I'm probably at that mid 420-ish. It should be a little bit heavier probably. But I shoot the, what's the, gold tip arrows.
Antler Up Podcast (46:38.67)
Yeah
Antler Up Podcast (46:55.501)
Mm-hmm.
Tom Runscavage (46:57.859)
with the QAD broadheads and the QAD has been great for me. I've had a lot of success. The only thing I will say is blood trails have been kind of not the greatest majority of the animals that I've killed, whether I've seen them drop or whatnot. Like when I've like tried to like just practice blood trailing them, like it's never been good. So that's my only concern is with them, but I've had complete pass throughs on, I would say.
close to 90 % of the deer I've shot. And also I shot a bear with it too and it zipped right through that without a problem.
Antler Up Podcast (47:32.344)
Right. Yeah, the broadheads for me, man, I've I've used the Grim Reaper the last couple of years. I've tested out that slick trick torch. It's their mechanical that looks like a sever. Basically, they have a really cool mechanism. Like part of it where like, say, if it were to open, it's easy to basically put them back together and reuse them and touch them up. The blades are really thick.
Tom Runscavage (47:44.722)
Okay.
Tom Runscavage (47:55.23)
Yeah.
Okay.
Antler Up Podcast (48:00.558)
on those. kind of, that's what I enjoyed about those on and everything like that. But seeing what it did to my, uh, to my buck in Ohio, man, I was like, yeah, that'll do the trick. That's for sure. Now that will do a damn for sure. Now is actually the first time I use like skinnies, like 0.1, 0.1 six sixes and for a hunting man, I'm sold, uh, at least for now, just because of that, that shot that I put on that sucker. Uh, yeah,
Tom Runscavage (48:19.082)
Okay.
Tom Runscavage (48:23.733)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (48:28.534)
Mm-hmm.
Antler Up Podcast (48:29.974)
I definitely, I'm sure, I'm sure two five would have done the same thing. you know, but I, after seeing like what it did, I was like, yeah, let's, yeah, I was impressed. just heavy, like hard, like, like, I know it doesn't really do it. And they're not like heavy as in weight, just weight. Jim will like that if he listens. but like just heavy hitting, like even if I go out, yeah.
Tom Runscavage (48:36.48)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (48:40.191)
Mm-mm, you're impressed. Yeah. Heavy.
Tom Runscavage (48:52.449)
you
Tom Runscavage (48:56.287)
Yeah, just you know when you hit something it has that oomph to it.
Antler Up Podcast (49:00.44)
Yeah. Like, I mean, I'm shooting the 3d targets and like, I'm like, dang, that's bearing in there. That's, that's a new target. You know I mean? Not, it's not like, it's not one that any arrow could blow through. It's like these, this past summer, they were new targets, new cores and stuff like that. And I was like, dang, that's, that's heavy. But yeah, dude, looking, looking at some ATA stuff that like you and I were, were chatting back and forth some
Tom Runscavage (49:07.009)
In there, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Tom Runscavage (49:14.709)
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (49:21.643)
Mm-hmm.
Tom Runscavage (49:29.302)
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (49:29.91)
I'm excited for. I think it's really cool what Tethered's doing with that frame pack. Yeah, I just think that's going to offer and the price point man seems really great for, for whitetail guys. I mean, that's who they're gearing it towards it. Like Jared said, even like, yeah, you could pack out like an elk on it, like for sure, but it's that military grade, you know,
Tom Runscavage (49:35.007)
Yeah, that's really cool to see.
Tom Runscavage (49:44.65)
Yeah, yeah.
Tom Runscavage (49:50.282)
Yeah, definitely is. it's just kind of like the basics of what you need to pack a deer out, whether deer are bigger. It's got all the features and the fact that it's got that ability to put bunch of different packs on it, bags or whatever, it's going to be nice feature for guys, I'm sure.
Antler Up Podcast (50:10.078)
Once, once I got my hands on it to mess around and tinker and see how Carl set it up with the clips to make it very sturdy. Cause I remember when I texted, I, when I kind of was talking to you about it, was like, feel like my bag swaying a lot. had it set up wrong, which I knew I was like, I know I'm doing something wrong. just, know, and then once I got a chance to see the ATA video and I was like, that makes sense. And once I did that, I mean, that sucker was rock solid.
Tom Runscavage (50:18.987)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (50:26.006)
Mm-hmm.
Antler Up Podcast (50:37.934)
and my bag did not want to move in a road a lot better. But then how easy it is to, if you don't want to take it up to the stand with you, like Carl mentioned in one video where you just unclip, you could leave that frame at the base of your tree, cover it up if you want. If you're, you know, if you would like to, you can. But dude, like for people that don't want to spend $800 on, on a full setup and you know, even,
Tom Runscavage (50:38.134)
No.
Tom Runscavage (50:41.442)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (50:52.3)
Yeah, yeah.
Tom Runscavage (51:01.984)
Yeah, the price of it's crazy anymore.
Antler Up Podcast (51:06.038)
Because like even like how you were saying like you've you've ran mystery ranch I've ran them I mean you can get them on sale for 300 some bucks and all that stuff great deal, too
Tom Runscavage (51:12.932)
Yeah, that's great deal right now. People, cause Yeti's taken over and I don't know if that's the reason why, like the pack that I got when I first went west, was the Mystery Ranch, their Bear Tooth or whatever. So I think it's like the previous model, cause I think they released a new kind of frame system or whatnot last year. But like the bag, I think when I got it on regular price, was like five something.
Antler Up Podcast (51:33.494)
Right, right.
Tom Runscavage (51:39.491)
Now you can get them for literally like 300 bucks like if you look for sales like which is crazy because it's great quality like you're not losing any quality on the price So that's that's that's where I would say if guys are like just getting into it and need like a Western pack like don't Skimp on mystery ranching. They have great war like lifetime warranty and everything too So but like like you said tether just giving great option with that new pack
Antler Up Podcast (52:00.352)
And for what you're
Yep. And for what you're just saying too, like if you know that's not going to be your everyday pack, you are using it. Man, I'm finally going out West to hunt this. Hey, I know I only would have X amount of hunts to opportunities to pack out an animal somewhere else. Like, like, you know what? You got a great hunting pack to do that. You have maybe if you're going on a camping trip with some buddies or something along those lines, you have a pack that you could definitely do something with along those lines.
Tom Runscavage (52:11.491)
Mm-mm.
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (52:34.126)
and it didn't cost you a thousand bucks, right? You you save 700, 650 maybe. Um, and heck you people sell them all the time. You know what I mean? Like, know, not because it doesn't work just because people are always wanting to try new shit and, and upgrade whatever.
Tom Runscavage (52:35.947)
Yeah, exactly.
Tom Runscavage (52:42.917)
Yeah, you can always go on Facebook and find used gear like that. That's even cheaper. Yeah, new stuff, yeah. Their wives are like, you can't spend any more money until you sell what you already got. So then they start writing in marker, like they're doing videos now saying, hey, I'm not a scammer, because that's another thing is like, I've never bought anything on it, but like, I obviously post like once a month of like,
Antler Up Podcast (52:56.046)
Exactly.
Antler Up Podcast (53:03.46)
my god.
Tom Runscavage (53:08.228)
help me out. Like I just got scammed or like anyone have any like whatever like is this guy a real person or are they AI or whatever but yeah, it's you got to be careful. That's not a problem with those Facebook things.
Antler Up Podcast (53:18.85)
Yeah, dude. Yeah. Other than that though, mean, unfortunately it just seems like ATA is dying, dude. It sucks.
Tom Runscavage (53:27.394)
Yeah, yeah, I know I was, I think I was watching like, I don't know if it was like, Justin's our story or something like that. And he was like, this one third place for innovation. was like a little like, he goes on your hat and like, it's a little puffer or something like that. Like, and he's like, cause this is what hunters really needed. And like, this is what they're like missing out on that they need to have in in the deer stand is a little puffer for a wind indicator. I'm like, my God. So yeah, it was a, I watched some of the videos and I get more so it's
Antler Up Podcast (53:33.507)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (53:57.292)
whatever five degrees outside and I'm bored so I'm like maybe more onto the YouTube hunting gear right now and forums and reading stuff but yeah it didn't seem like there was too many. I think that hunt arsenal I've never tried any of their stuff but I think like they are dropping like a couple different platforms a couple different sticks and everything so that looked pretty cool. I know like reading stuff that Buzz at Roost is like a cult like following of people that love their saddles so I'm like
Antler Up Podcast (54:07.118)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (54:27.398)
I'm like, well, I can't make fun of it if I don't try it. So I ended up ordering one. so that's going to be my, I sat in a once in the backyard for about like 10 minutes. And it was very comfortable because I will say that was the one piece of gear. I was running the original Phantom saddle and I had the back brace on, but it just still felt like even after an hour or two hours, like my back was just, just my lower back always was like stiff. And I, for the most part, I sit for the majority.
Antler Up Podcast (54:30.478)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (54:57.893)
in the stand and I just, I don't know, it's nice and lightweight but it just for a couple hours I was not comfortable and I was getting sore so I'm interested to see if this new Buzzard Roost lives up to the hype that everybody claims it is so far.
Antler Up Podcast (55:12.046)
Yeah. I gotta, I gotta, I gotta get you in that ultra lock to try just to try, you know, just, you know, that feels like you, I sit, do I, I do sit a lot more than I do anything else, which is kind of bad because I don't know about you this year. I did this a little too much. So, uh, but yeah, man, uh, dude, we'll have to, uh, get you up to antler up camp. Uh, you're
Tom Runscavage (55:17.155)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, just to see,
Tom Runscavage (55:28.513)
Yeah
Tom Runscavage (55:35.813)
Oh yeah, I know, that's, I haven't yet to go up there. I'm not that far, I think it's like maybe like 40 minutes or whatnot, it's reasonable distance.
Antler Up Podcast (55:38.648)
Dude, my God.
Antler Up Podcast (55:45.664)
I said to, well, I was talking to Jim just earlier, cause how you were, you were saying earlier about people being sick, his son is sick, his wife's sick. He was not feeling well. so I was busting his chops a little bit about that. And I was like, dude, we need to go up to camp just to get away. Like Friday night, go do stuff up up there on Saturday and just if we need to come home Saturday evening, like so be it, but like just to have that one night. Yeah. Just had that.
Tom Runscavage (55:55.119)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (56:12.271)
Yeah, just to get up. Yeah, dude, it was nice just even like when we went up to our lease that we got the hunt for about one day. It was nice to just get away. Like even though was like, I didn't even care that I was leaving the house at like eight, nine o'clock, whatever it was. I was like, and then like there were two beds and I'm like, dude, I'll sleep on the couch. Like, I don't care. Like the fact that I'm like, cause that was when he was like not sleeping well at all. And I wake up every two hours. I'm like, dude, like,
Antler Up Podcast (56:15.216)
like
Antler Up Podcast (56:27.776)
I know.
Antler Up Podcast (56:39.244)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (56:40.07)
If I sleep for four hours on a couch, that'll be the best sleep that I've gotten in like a month. it was a good time at least getting out and doing that stuff. hopefully we have more time to get together.
Antler Up Podcast (56:42.752)
Yeah, she got. Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (56:50.082)
Yeah. I know, dude. Well, I know that that's what's like, it's awesome that you're going to go back out to out West and do an L kind of all that stuff. But I know how you said your time is limited. So it's like, well, hopefully we now that we're not doing New York, hopefully we'll have a chance to do PA. You know what I mean?
Tom Runscavage (57:08.198)
Yeah, yeah, exactly. I'll make time as long as I kind of figure out in advance, like I'll just try to pencil it in so I have and let the wife know like six months in advance so there's no, when it gets closer, where are you going again? Like, who are you going with?
Antler Up Podcast (57:18.062)
Yeah.
Yeah, dude. I apparently, listen, I could write it on the marker board. Doesn't work. when I was in the hunt that late season, how would Jim, he and Brittany, Brittany was like, you have to do a shared Google doc, you know? So was like, she's like, she'll follow that. So was like, okay. So I think next for this upcoming year, we're going to do that because how I mentioned about tack, like obviously we we want to try to do it again this year. we took a couple of years off.
Tom Runscavage (57:25.986)
Hehehe
Tom Runscavage (57:35.149)
Hehehehehe
Tom Runscavage (57:46.565)
Yeah.
Antler Up Podcast (57:48.814)
And I was sitting there and I was like, Hey, we're going to do like Jim's looking at places for tack coming up. And she's like, you're going. I was like, yeah. She's like, well, I thought you said you guys weren't going because you have montage now. I was like, yeah, but that was like a couple of years ago. you know, we're going to try. And she's like, you were, you were just recently there. I go, I worked the event like two years ago. I was like, that's over 500 some days. Like chill boss. The mind. Yeah, exactly.
Tom Runscavage (58:02.695)
Yeah, was a couple years, isn't it?
Tom Runscavage (58:10.788)
Yeah, yeah. I guess it's recent in the scheme of the universe of age.
Antler Up Podcast (58:18.537)
no, dude. But heck yeah, man, dude. I appreciate you taking time tonight just to catch up. Tell the buck story. We'll we'll have plenty more before the season rolls around, man. That's as like I said, there's definitely some cool fun conversations we're all going to have. Hopefully we get together here soon and and appreciate you coming on,
Tom Runscavage (58:24.455)
Yeah.
Tom Runscavage (58:38.248)
Yeah, no problem. Thanks for having me on.
Antler Up Podcast (58:40.462)
Awesome. And hey, go check out Tom run scavenged dudes is straight up killer. I know he didn't even really dissect his, his, the buck he was talking about. That just was about, what'd you say? 135.
Tom Runscavage (58:52.474)
Yeah, I think like 134 and like 3 eighths or something like that as an eight pointer. He's actually right behind me over there.
Antler Up Podcast (58:55.702)
I'm telling you, yeah, I knew that's what that was him, but man, I'm telling you when you hold that sucker in real life and to know you shot at something the day prior that was maybe 50 inches bigger than that, just goes, a PA public dude. What the hell?
Tom Runscavage (59:08.2)
On PA public, yeah, it's like, it's all luck. There's really no strategy anyways, so it doesn't matter.
Antler Up Podcast (59:16.832)
No, but here's, but here's the aspect. I agree with you about the luck aspect, but man, I'll tell you what, man, you are one that if I say, what do think of this piece? What do you think of that? I, I take your word very, very, very close to the chest and you know, I, I really respect you. So, definitely, definitely know what you're doing. That's for damn sure. So, but, yeah, some days, right.
Tom Runscavage (59:34.664)
Thanks dude, I appreciate it.
Tom Runscavage (59:41.962)
Sometimes.
Antler Up Podcast (59:45.622)
No, man. Thanks again for tuning in everybody. Check Tom out. We'll see you next week. Antler up.
Tom Runscavage (59:51.177)
Peace.
