Riding A Wheelie Through Life

In this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles podcast, host Dan Johnson and guest Jeremy Dinsmore discuss various aspects of life, including parenting challenges, the importance of family, the complexities of marriage, and reflections on teaching. They share personal experiences and insights on how to balance work, family, and personal passions, particularly in the context of hunting and podcasting. The conversation highlights the joys and struggles of being a parent, the significance of maintaining strong relationships, and the evolving nature of their careers. In this episode, the hosts reflect on their recent hunting experiences, discussing turkey season mishaps, the successes and challenges of deer hunting, and the impact of unusual weather patterns on their strategies. They also share insights on future hunting plans and the importance of adapting to changing conditions in the field.

Takeaways:

• Parenting involves navigating challenges and setting priorities.
• Gift giving can sometimes lead to clutter and excess.
• The teenage years bring emotional changes and challenges for parents.
• Family should always take priority over work and other commitments.
• Marriage requires effort and communication to navigate challenges.
• Teaching can be rewarding but also comes with its own set of challenges.
• Podcasting is a journey that evolves over time with personal growth.
• Building friendships through shared interests is invaluable.
• Finding balance between personal passions and family life is crucial.
• Reflecting on past experiences can lead to personal growth and understanding. Turkey season can lead to unexpected moments, like blood on sneakers.
• Using quality gear, like Vortex Optics, enhances the hunting experience.
• Mock scrapes can be effective for attracting deer during the season.
• Cell cameras are essential for monitoring deer activity.
• Weather patterns significantly affect deer movement and hunting success.
• Hunting strategies should adapt to changing conditions and experiences.
• Sharing hunting experiences with friends adds to the enjoyment of the sport.
• Planning for next season starts as soon as the current one ends.
• Learning from each hunting season is crucial for improvement.
• The camaraderie of hunting with family and friends is invaluable.

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Dan Johnson (00:00.954)
All right, everybody, welcome back to the Nine Finger Chronicles podcast. I am your nine fingered host. For those of you on YouTube, that's my nub. And today we are joined by fellow sportsman's empire podcaster, Mr. Jeremy Dinsmore of the Antler Up podcast. One of my favorite guests, by the way, because I feel like me and you kind of live in the same lane.

Antler Up Podcast (00:22.725)
Thanks, man.

Antler Up Podcast (00:26.798)
Mm-hmm. yeah. Yeah.

Dan Johnson (00:28.388)
So, how's it going dude?

Antler Up Podcast (00:31.591)
Dude, it's going really well. It's fascinating how fast deer season comes and goes, but also how fast things could turn around for you, in which you obviously know as well. So things are going pretty well, dude.

Dan Johnson (00:45.336)
Yeah, that's good, man. And so one of the reasons we're recording this today, I reached out and I'm like, hey, you got some time to record a podcast? And you said something like, I'm taking today off or you're taking a couple hours of PTO. Why are you taking PTO today?

Antler Up Podcast (01:02.369)
I caught up some deer.

Dan Johnson (01:04.249)
cut up some deer and that's a good reason to use pay time off.

Antler Up Podcast (01:08.317)
Yep, yep. And then later on, and beforehand, I got a little doctor's appointment. So it just, it all works out. So it ends up being very, very smooth and be able to cut up some deer before that and do what I need to do.

Dan Johnson (01:23.908)
That's right. All right, so how old are your kids? You just have one girl, right?

Antler Up Podcast (01:28.72)
So I have a 10 year old daughter and then I have a soon to be one year old, another little girl.

Dan Johnson (01:33.178)
Okay, all right. Couple questions I have for you here. Are you involved in the Christmas present category at all or is that 100 % your wife?

Antler Up Podcast (01:45.246)
I'm involved a little bit. We have a little list of who's getting what, of who's coming from Santa and who's coming from the parents, basically. So that's way we usually do it. And I'll, with some extra cash, I'm like, here, here, here. I cross that off the list. It's coming. Or then we hide it, basically, in plain sight.

Dan Johnson (02:08.195)
Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to the age in my life and I talked about this a little bit on the episodes, like on the previous episode where, man, my kids have a ton of stuff already. And gifts at this point don't mean anything other than just opening up something, getting excited about it. It's almost like that dopamine hit, like,

Antler Up Podcast (02:36.019)
Yep.

Dan Johnson (02:37.089)
Most people get when they scroll. And so I just don't want any more stuff in my house. I feel like if, one thing that I think I'm gonna do, honestly this week or maybe next is to have my kids go through all of their stuff, pick out like, I don't know, five, 10 items, whatever they don't play with, put it in a sack and take it to Goodwill or some donation center.

Something like that so some other kids can have a decent because I'll tell you this shit right now There's a lot of kids out there that would be very happy with the stuff that my kids don't even touch anymore Yeah, and one of those kids is me from the 1980s

Antler Up Podcast (03:17.199)
Exactly. Yeah. Same. I'm in the same boat with you.

Right? huh.

Dan Johnson (03:24.909)
Mike my kids are spoiled dude. I'm gonna straight up and that's part partly my problem

Antler Up Podcast (03:29.385)
Yep. I'm with you though. That's the same thing for us. mean, my oldest, she's 10 and obviously with the soon to be one year old, it's like we have that huge gap. So Nora was spoiled her whole life basically. And the other day she's been off, I, we've been back at school since Monday, but whereas the district where we live in, they've had off Monday and Tuesday because of deer season still extended kind of Thanksgiving break. And she, I don't know, she was messaging my wife and I through her, through her iPad and her Apple watch, cause she doesn't have a phone and

She's messaging us, getting ready for dance class last night. And she's like freaking out about pants. like, she's going crazy. And she called, I guess, my wife. And I'm like, was she crying? Like, was she upset? She's like, she was a little upset. Like, I didn't understand. And then I go, did you put her in her place? She goes, yeah. And I was just like, you know, she's just like, do you understand what you're crying about or upset about? Like, there's so much, you know. So we're trying to give her that tough love a little bit. But I'm glad the wife's on board.

Dan Johnson (04:14.808)
Hahaha

Antler Up Podcast (04:27.265)
more so lately because I used to always get in trouble. You're too hard, you do this and it's like,

Dan Johnson (04:31.542)
Yeah, yeah, I don't well obviously there is a line where you can be too hard on your kids But I think that's a lot farther than people think like I I'll be honest I give my kids opportunity to make the right decision But when they don't or they are being lazy, man, I'll ride their ass. I have no problem doing that and Despite what other people may think like my mom and dad rode my ass and I turned out I guess okay

Antler Up Podcast (04:37.033)
Yep. Right.

Antler Up Podcast (04:42.401)
Mm-hmm.

Antler Up Podcast (04:50.94)
Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep.

Dan Johnson (05:00.745)
at you know at some point i turned out okay and i'm not in federal prison right now i know i'm not a felon

Antler Up Podcast (05:00.833)
Yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (05:05.972)
Right.

Dan Johnson (05:12.18)
My daughter, okay, she is this 11 year old, right? She turns 12 in February and she is going through the change, right? Like, don't, you know, I'm just gonna be blunt. Like I'm a dad. She hasn't, don't think she's had her period yet, but she's going through this emotional change where...

Mom and dad are not number one. Social life is starting to be number one. Hanging with her friends, things like that are more important than mom and dad. And that breaks my heart a little bit because my daughter is the one that made me a dad. And so I feel like I'm really connected to her in a way. And now she's kind of breaking off. Like she obviously still relies on her parents for almost everything. But emotionally and mentally, she is not.

daddy's little girl anymore. And as as a dad of a little girl, it's kind of disheartening, a little bit like I miss the little girl. You know what I mean?

Antler Up Podcast (06:17.048)
Yeah, I agree. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I'm with you. That's where I'm starting to see, she's all, like, she still has the, you know, the imagination and all that type of stuff and believes in fun stuff as well. But at the same time, she's, like, trying to do makeup things, like, not makeup, but like skincare, like lotions. I'm like, my gosh, what are we, we're already here? Like, my, it's crazy.

Dan Johnson (06:40.043)
Yep. Yep.

Yep, yep. At least you got this little precious bundle that will still sit on your lap and she'll still probably snuggle with you and things like that. My daughter doesn't want to do any of that shit anymore.

Antler Up Podcast (06:47.767)
Yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (06:54.127)
Yeah, yeah, that's crazy. It goes quick though, Dan. Like I can't believe it. Like I said, I remember literally years ago when you were still doing things with Mark on Wired to Hunt. And I just remember like, man, I know like Mark used to always crack jokes about how people would chime in about what the hell are you guys always talking about with kids for, or like give shit about you guys doing that. But it's like, for some people it's very relatable. You know what I mean? Like I don't recall, it's been, was so like this year was like a two by four up the side of my face because

Dan Johnson (07:16.029)
yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (07:23.909)
It having that having the newborn basically, it was just so it was a different season for me because I couldn't I was so long removed from Nora growing up during hunting season and all that type of stuff that I forgot the limited amount of time I did have and I don't want to say guilt, but it was just like, you know, I didn't want to put a lot on my wife because back then we only had the one now with the two basically Nora's in a bunch of different things running around and needs this that so

I was kind of like that weekend warrior because of what Nora had during the week. So it was definitely a different perspective. But like you said, was definitely nice to, I still felt like I balanced it pretty well and did a good job with it.

Dan Johnson (08:07.326)
Yeah, and the dude the older I get the more I just Am I'm always thinking about my priorities? Right and and I always come to this conclusion like dude, man I'm so lucky to do what I'm able to do like I've built this business basically To be able to do two things one is to hunt more than what I was hunting when I was sitting in that damn cubicle And then the other one the other one

was the flexibility to be able to spend more time with my family. as I, like my job is important, the business part of this is important because it allows me to be flexible. But the thing that I am constantly, I constantly am brought back to is the fact that my family takes priority over absolutely everything in my life. And you know, and I know this is kind of sappy,

But I know dudes out there who are trying to build businesses and they're away from their families and they are so focused on careers and things like that. That's important because that is what provides. But at the end of the day, like, I don't think I could trade more money for, or less time away from my kids, for less time away from my kids. I just don't think I could do it.

I am in my zone right now as a father. Like I love going to my kids, whether it's dance, whether it's taking them to practice, whether it's playing sports with them, whether it's just wrestling my boys and my daughter down on the wrestling mat and joking around. Like I don't know why, but I feel like I was made by God or the higher power to be a father.

Like that's what I was made for and I'm loving my life right now. Like I'm in my zone, dude.

Antler Up Podcast (10:05.007)
awesome.

Antler Up Podcast (10:09.521)
Dude, that's great.

That's good. do, because there's a lot of guys, like you said, are, you know, it's a different side. you can't fault them for being a career. know, everybody has their own path. But when you feel good about what you're doing, you know, my brother-in-law, who was my best man at my wedding and everything, when he always, the one thing that he said, you know, if you could look at yourself in the mirror before you go to bed and be OK with that reflection, you know, you're doing a good job. you know, then if not,

you got to look at what you need to change and go after it. And it's awesome to hear that because a lot of guys are not happy. You know what I mean? it's good to hear that you are.

Dan Johnson (10:47.191)
yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'll say this, to just, know we're gonna talk about deer here in a second, but this is life, right? The other thing that I will say is kids, right, being a father has its pros and cons. Now, being a husband, it's like, I was thinking the other day, I was scrolling through some photos and I saw a picture.

Antler Up Podcast (10:56.712)
Mm-hmm.

Dan Johnson (11:15.869)
of one of the first mule deer packouts that I did. And physically, a brutal packout, like 100 pounds on the back. You know, it wasn't some like big elk hunt where we had to pack an elk 10 miles back to a truck. But physically, that was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Mentally had to overcome. I had a job once.

When I was 25, 26, I was working like 12 to 14 hours a day. I worked for 120 days in a row at that pace. And I was like mentally breaking apart, physically breaking apart because of that job. And nothing is as hard. This is gonna sound crazy because you gotta find the right woman. But nothing is as hard as being married, Like.

Antler Up Podcast (12:06.994)
Mm-hmm.

Antler Up Podcast (12:10.505)
Yep.

Dan Johnson (12:11.132)
It is one of the most mentally difficult things. And I know your partner has a lot to do with it. And I love my wife. I know I give her some shit on this podcast every once in a while, but being married, dude, it's not easy. It is not easy. it is, but it is the foundation of your life and your family and how your kids grow up. And so, I don't know, dude, being married, being married is hard.

Antler Up Podcast (12:36.563)
Yeah, it's funny too because you know in years past We're my wife and I this year. She was great and and she did she was she was happy She was supportive for certain things, but there were a couple of times where like I was like a little confused I'm like, know You didn't give me as much crap in the past and I was going out a lot more and I'm like I'm literally only going the weekend and I did a The other day I actually like sat down and I was like, okay, what days did I hunt?

And I only hunted seven days total in the state of PA, whereas in years past, I would do that within the first two weeks. I was going after work. I was doing this. I was doing that. I did that one time. And I was like, what am I doing? I only have the opportunity to go and sit for an hour and something. I don't know. I wasn't into it. And it kind of made me want to be home a little bit more and help out. But yeah, like you said, I'd.

I give her a lot of crap too, but at the same time, I feel like that foundation is critical for what you were saying, just because, especially now, with us, it was a whole new dynamic. was having a baby 10 years basically later from our first one, and obviously having our jobs, and me having the passion in the podcast, and doing all that type of stuff. I'm like, dude, you got to do something. I want you to have a drive where I'll

support you just the same way you support me and all that stuff, but it's hard right now, but we're getting there, man. But it's just funny how I agree with you 100%. Being the married life is definitely a little bit challenging. And it's fascinating to see too how many people can't do it. Do you know what mean? It's crazy.

Dan Johnson (14:21.575)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's almost like there are times, and I think in marriage, a lot of people have a problem with admitting that they, in fact, are the problem because it's hard for, know, dude, like there are times where I am positive that I am right, and there are times where I know my wife is positive that she is right, and we,

butt heads over certain things. And we imply things and we, but if we don't sit there and talk about it and just start to fester and resent each other, that's the thing that, well, I don't want to put words in my wife's mouth, but I think a little bit, my wife isn't a huge fan of her job right now. And I think there's a little resentment there for what I've built and having the ability

Antler Up Podcast (15:12.513)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dan Johnson (15:20.595)
to work as much or as little as I want, having the flexibility to, shit, it's a nice day outside, I'm gonna do my work from six in the morning till noon and then the rest of the day I'm gonna go bounce around with the kids, right? And that's hard for her because she gets to see me do that stuff. But what I see when I look at my wife is I go, man, your job is secure, right?

Like here I am, like in my job and what I do and I'm self-employed with full sneak gear and with the sportsman's empire and hosting the podcast. Dude, I rely on other people to pay my bills. I don't get an automatic paycheck every single, every single. So the market shit and companies don't want to advertise, that's a problem for me. That's a big problem. And so.

Antler Up Podcast (16:16.366)
Right. Right.

Dan Johnson (16:18.786)
I am living on this edge where I am, like, I think about it all the time. Like, my God, like, I'm watching. The one thing about my job is I get, there's months where I don't get paid and then there's other months where I get paid a whole bunch. And so then I have to balance that throughout the entire, you know, the course of the entire year. And so I have,

I'm always worrying about it. That's and that's the burden that a self-employed I guess entrepreneur has to carry but I but I love it because I get that freedom that we talked about so I Don't know dude, I don't know Let me ask you a question. go go. No you go ahead

Antler Up Podcast (17:00.72)
I got to, yeah, go ahead. I was just going to say, I have a lot of respect for individuals like yourself, just because there are a couple people out there that I know personally, more so obviously in this hunting endeavor, not so much in other things, but that has to grind and put a lot on yourself. You're betting on yourself. And like you said, you have no control of what other companies do.

Dan Johnson (17:23.569)
Yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (17:27.738)
You they could be, you think one year, like you said, they're doing great, and the next thing you know it, it's business, they're gone. And there goes something, a paycheck for you, like you said.

Dan Johnson (17:38.735)
Yep, absolutely, absolutely. All right.

teaching your teacher when you how long have you been a teacher? 10 years. Okay, that's a long time. Has there ever been a time because I've seen it because I used to be that kid that used to test teachers limits. All right. Has there been a time where you're like fuck fuck this like I do these damn kids. I'm done. I want to go do something different.

Antler Up Podcast (17:45.422)
Mm-hmm. Yep.

10 years

Antler Up Podcast (18:09.265)
It's funny because I think a couple of years ago, the average span of a teacher's career was only like five years, like very minimal. Yeah, was, you just graduated college, you finally got your teaching job, and those individuals were lasting like four five years and kind of getting through that. I wanna say, prior to COVID,

Dan Johnson (18:20.28)
really?

Antler Up Podcast (18:35.14)
Not really, like, but prior to like that shut down and all that craziness and, it, I, I, I loved every second of it. And once we went back, things were difficult and kids changed a lot. And just there, there was a period where I was like, I don't know anymore. Do you know I mean? Like, it's not that there were, would have days and I'm like, that's why I'm a teacher. Then there were days where, like you said, it's like, my gosh, I don't.

Dan Johnson (18:56.943)
Yep.

Antler Up Podcast (19:03.795)
What else can I do? I have another degree, fortunately. And teaching was kind of like my second endeavor in career, basically. But I want to say honestly, Dan, the last two years, though, have been really good. We had that two-year period of post or two and a half, three years of post-COVID. And now I feel like we're on this nice upswing. And lately, I don't know. I think, I change as an individual. And seeing some of my former students now, they're

getting into the teaching world and they're like, man, you changed a lot. I'm like, good, bad? They're like, no, good. you they're like, you're still, you're still a fun teacher, but you're not as like wound up as tight. You know what I mean? And, and, but like in a good way. So I finally feel like I'm back into my first, you know, one through six years basically. And, I feel pretty good again with what's going on, but man, there's, there's times where I'm just like, you guys got it made. Like just.

just relax, you know I mean? Like just, it's okay. Yeah, and I always try to give them like life lessons a little bit here and there once in a while and just say like, dude, if you're, whatever you're going through, it's like a storm. It will pass and you can get through it.

Dan Johnson (20:02.126)
yeah, yeah.

Dan Johnson (20:18.372)
Yeah, man, I have those thoughts too, Like, I have those thoughts. I've done this for 10 years now, okay? And I would be lying. I love, I think what my favorite part about this whole podcast thing is the people and the friendships that I've made along the way. The deer hunting conversation and what I've learned in this timeframe is secondary.

But I will say this, I would be lying if I didn't have thoughts or goals or I'm not sure what the right word is to go and do something else, do something different. I've done this for 10 years. I'm never gonna get rich off this. This isn't something that is gonna pay for like.

get my wife to quit her job and things like that, it's not gonna happen. it's awesome to this point, but there's something else in my life that I, I love coaching kids, dude. I absolutely love coaching kids. I'm thinking about that more and more, especially now that my kids are of coachable age, and I don't know. There's something else out there for me.

I just don't know what it is yet.

Antler Up Podcast (21:44.691)
Yeah, I know what you mean because I mean, people ask me all the time, like, man, you're coming up to five years on your podcast and are you going to continue to do it? there's times where I love when I bank a bunch of episodes because then it's like, just got to edit a couple and I'm not worried about, hey, I need to guess, I need to guess, need to guess, because that's like the worst feeling, especially during hunting season and then.

post-hunting season people are so tired of talking about hunting or doing hunting they don't want to do it and You know, that's where like I said it on one of my recent episodes where I said I've been trying to do different things and having more of that natural like what we're doing basically just because I Leading up into the year. I I heard usually even say it on one of this episodes like in like August or September it's like I couldn't I couldn't I I couldn't listen to another episode where it was like

early season tactics of how you're going to kill your buck. I couldn't record that because I'd be so disinterested in listening to somebody. I would rather just have someone come on, whatever naturally, however it flowed. I'm anxious to see how we did this year just because of that also, but at the same time, I don't know, I'd be lying, same thing. I would be lying if I didn't have other thoughts too like that.

Dan Johnson (22:58.275)
Yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (23:08.597)
My thing is I love the conversations, the friends that you build. so it's like, that's what keeps me going. And if like, how else can I evolve with it rather than like, if there comes a day where it's like, hey, I don't know what I could do anymore. You know I mean? And I've talked to you and I've talked to other people and I talked to this and I still can't come up with something. that's when maybe that day would come. But I don't know when that day will come. Like I still thoroughly enjoy these conversations and that type of stuff. You know what I mean? But yeah, it's tough when.

When you think about it, like for yourself, 10 years, that's a long time. That's a lot of conversations. That's a lot of people. It's pretty cool, though.

Dan Johnson (23:43.222)
yeah.

Yeah, I have to check how many episodes of the nine finger Chronicles I've done. It's I think it's over 900 now. But I I've done a cumulative between the hunting gear podcast, the nine finger Chronicles podcast, the how to hunt deer podcast, the Iowa podcast that I used to do. I've done over like 1500 episodes and it just that's a lot of talking, dude. Over 10 years. And so, yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (24:12.119)
That's a lot.

Dan Johnson (24:16.972)
All right, that's a good intro. That's a good intro. I feel like we could keep going there, but I do actually wanna talk about your season. But before we get into that, we're gonna do a quick commercial break. And let's just lead with Tethered because we both use Tethered products. Talk to me a little bit about your Tethered setup for this past year.

Antler Up Podcast (24:41.535)
Yeah, so I would say for me this past year I use again solely my ultra lock saddle I love that thing just because I am I do sit more than I do lean back or anything along those lines So having that panel be able to stretch and give me that extra Basically cushion that more material in that ultra lock. I like that the plus the pouches I repelled down the tree So I still use three four sticks to get up but coming down because of using an ater I do like to repel so that

those pouches allow me to have that. Platform wise, I ran the Predator V for a couple, a couple of times, but then especially towards the end of the year, in the late season, I did take the CFX XL out just because of, I wanted that little extra boot room slash like just extra material on those longer all day sits basically. So.

I'm a big big fan of that CFX platform whether it's the regular one or the XL. I think it's a that light compact and You know that noise it's it makes noise, but it's not like the aluminum noise It has that I don't know I wouldn't I guess you could kind of say if you hit it off something It has more that dense like what a rattle, you know antler pack. Yeah, like that would sound but yeah, I mean so so

Dan Johnson (25:57.345)
Like a wood. Yeah, like wood, yeah, yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (26:04.569)
What's nice about the tethered stuff, Dan, is you could really, whatever your body is, you could potentially get into one that will fit you. Like if you're a skinnier individual, that Phantom saddle, even if you're still a bigger individual, that Phantom works great, but I love that Ultra Lock.

Dan Johnson (26:20.993)
Yeah, yep, I used I used the largest metal platform that they have and then I used the original phantom XL like that with the two Accessory pouches that had the drawstrings on them. That was my setup all year round I didn't use very many accessories. I didn't use any of the Tether adjusters that they sell I was old school with everything and and I found my

Antler Up Podcast (26:34.456)
Yep. Yep.

Dan Johnson (26:50.036)
I found my comfort zone in that and this year I will say that I hunted more out of a saddle than I ever had before and dude, it's an awesome tool. It's an awesome tool. Did I enjoy some of those days off where I didn't use a saddle and was able to sit in a tree stand? Yes I did. But every time I went in for like the technical surgical strike, I was in a saddle.

And so, dude, I love the tool, man. I love it. All right, the next one we both use is Huntworth. And I'm just gonna name, I'm gonna name two products that I really like. The first one is the Durham pants from, dude, those are not only like go out and hunt pants, but those are like Sunday church pants too.

I absolutely love those pants. They're very comfortable, especially in the early season or shed hunting or when you're doing a lot of walking. I use them exclusively for my Western hunts. And then I also am a huge fan of the solid colors that they just released. Love those garments. The last one would be, and I said this before,

Antler Up Podcast (28:09.209)
Yeah, the Ash Grey. Yeah.

Dan Johnson (28:15.702)
when it comes to whatever gimmick or technical verbiage that companies use to sell a product, I couldn't tell you what heat boost technology actually means, but I will tell you this, that the garments that I wore this year, when layered correctly, I was staying warmer with less layers, if that makes sense. And so take that for what it's worth.

Antler Up Podcast (28:41.957)
Mm-hmm. Yep.

Dan Johnson (28:45.225)
But Huntworth, what are some of your favorite garments?

Antler Up Podcast (28:47.162)
Yeah, my favorite that I think is extremely versatile is that Graylin hoodie. So it does have that heat boost technology in it. It does not have like a wind stopper in it. But this past like weekend, even for PA rifle, like I had just like a little wick kind of bass layer and then I wore that Graylin hoodie. And then I actually layered with my next favorite piece, which

I wore was the Saskatoon jacket and that does have the that wind stop capability So like you said being able to wear less and stay a lot warmer is fantastic so yeah, my favorite two favorites are that Graylin hoodie in this and the Saskatoon jacket and like you even said though those Durham pants are are also so friggin sweet just because If you have a solid color, like you said church pants like you could wear them out like I wear my solid color ones at school

I'll teach in them. And then also like you said, shed hunting and just going out scouting. They're perfect.

Dan Johnson (29:50.101)
Do you teach in them with deer blood on your pants?

Antler Up Podcast (29:52.51)
I will say this last year during turkey season Doing something I was doing something in the garage and I when I lifted up my turkey to do something I had a little bit of blood on my sneaker and I didn't realize it and I was like at school one kid was like Do you got blood on your sneaker? I was like, yeah, I do that's from my turkey Yeah, better watch it

Dan Johnson (30:13.109)
That's from the last kid who disrupted class, buddy. So better watch it. All right, and then I'll run through, I don't know what, just stop me if you use any of these other products, but Wasp Archery, I do have a discount code NFC20 for 20 % off. My two favorite heads are the Fourblade, or the Boss Fourblade, and then the head that has done the most damage, including this year for me.

and basically since I started using it was the 3 blade jackhammer absolutely crushes things wasparchery.com the next is Vortex Optics huge fan of the people and when it comes to optics they have literally number one they're the cream of the crop number two they have everything from range finders to red dots to rifle scopes spotting scopes obviously binoculars and then

a kick-ass apparel line and then sunglasses. I feel like since we're coming up on Christmas, a Vortec optic of any price point of any binocular, spotting scope, whatever, is an ultimate, I mean, an ultimate once-in-a-lifetime Christmas gift for whoever you're buying it for. So vortecsoptics.com, go check it out. Code Blue Sense.

And by the way, I wanted to mention this, where'd my phone go? This morning and overnight, two deer, one was a three-year-old, one a potential four-year-old, hit my mock scrape that I made this morning in front of my trail camera. And so it tells me that they're not completely done with the rut quite yet. They went up to it, they sniffed, they rubbed their antlers on it. I couldn't tell if they...

pawed the ground on the scrape, but that Ropidote Mock Scrape Kit, I mean, it's probably too late to start introducing it now in the year. You know, that's probably not a great sales pitch, but I will say that next, this spring, as early as turkey season, dude, start getting those mock scrapes out, start getting deer used to them, and then any time you go out into the woods, rub some of that pre-orbital on there. They also have a complete lineup.

Dan Johnson (32:37.305)
of real synthetic deer urine, body washes, laundry detergents, so go check out code blue sense, codebluesense.com, enter the discount code NFC for $2 or 20 % off. We've talked about Huntworth, Reveal, Cellcams, huge fan of Reveal, here's what they do. I put them out, say what? They work.

Antler Up Podcast (33:01.94)
to work.

they work.

Dan Johnson (33:06.458)
That's all I can, like, whether it's hot, they work. Cold, they work. The only time they don't work is user error for me, and that's when they run out of batteries. Or if I put them in front of a camera that just, there's wind or a piece of grass, and they do that, right, and batteries run out. Dude, they work. All I want in a cell cam is for it to take a picture and send it to me.

Antler Up Podcast (33:07.71)
Ha ha ha!

Dan Johnson (33:33.459)
That's the most basic need of a camera and a cell cam. And that's why I have really found a lot of success. And I actually just really like the reveal cell cams. Go to tactcam.com slash cameras and check out the new 3.0 versions of those. I feel like that would also make a really good Christmas gift, would be a cell cam for someone who's never used a cell cam before. I will say this, the older guys that may not...

Antler Up Podcast (33:53.122)
100%.

Dan Johnson (34:01.945)
necessarily have ever used trail cameras like your dad's age, you know, maybe even a grandpa who's got a smart like knowledgeable enough to use a smartphone. I think it would just be fun for them to open their phone up and check their cell cams every day. So think about that. All right. I believe that's it. and my company, full sneak gear dot com, go check it out. Those also make really good gifts for people.

Antler Up Podcast (34:14.697)
yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (34:19.01)
Mm-hmm.

Dan Johnson (34:30.886)
So I got two new ones coming out hopefully before Christmas. So if you're a last minute shopper like myself, they should be ready for the Christmas last minute shopper.

Antler Up Podcast (34:30.989)
Cole Shirt Designs.

Dan Johnson (34:48.53)
deer hunting now. Let's talk deer hunting. Jeremy, rate your season thus far on a scale of one to 10.

Antler Up Podcast (34:59.393)
I'd say a eight and a half.

Dan Johnson (35:02.352)
Eight and a half, explain.

Antler Up Podcast (35:04.257)
So I filled my buck tag in Pennsylvania. I filled my buck tag in Ohio. I filled a dough tag also in Pennsylvania. So if you would have asked me last week, I would probably have said like a six, seven-ish. And the reason why I still kind of, I guess, high for that, even though at that point time I didn't fill a buck tag and dough tag in PA yet at that point, was just because I didn't really have a goal for PA.

I kept saying, and I didn't realize that till like later on in the year, and I kept saying, I want an adventure. I want to do this. I want to pack something out. I didn't really say like, I want to kill a blank. I want to, or challenge myself for to kill a deer here or this point in time of the year. I really put a lot of eggs in my, my Ohio basket basically. And for like when that trip happened and what sucks is that trip.

was usually, I knew it was always like the good time when I go back in Northeast PA to hunt with my dad up on our mountain. And it was right, because when I was there, my dad's calling me with just crazy rut activity while he was hunting and missed opportunities for him and everything. But leading up to that, like I said, I didn't hunt a lot in the state of PA. And there was a weekend in October, like that 25th, whatever that weekend was, I had really good action. And again, I know the one area that...

that I go hunt, it could potentially start popping off around that time. And I had a lot of good deer movement, a couple young bucks, a couple doe. And then later on in the evening, my wind was perfect where I was. And I had a doe feeding about like 45 yards to me, kind of like where all the deer were earlier in the day. And I actually repositioned my saddle because of that. And doing so, I was just hanging out watching this deer.

And she kept looking into the little thicket that was, I don't know, maybe 20 more yards past where she was. I was like, something's got to be coming because just the way her, was acting and I caught, I caught antlers and I kind of got glassed them up with my vortex optics. And I saw he was a good buck. One of the ones that I was getting on camera. So I got my bow ready. I was in position and I kind of swung around the tree.

Antler Up Podcast (37:21.323)
And I could still feel the wind was still good because of where the doe was and where the buck was potentially coming to. So he closes the distance a little bit, gets about even with her, Dan. And at that point in time, I just felt like wind hit from a whole different direction on my face. And I'm like, you gotta be kidding me. it was like 4 o'clock. You know what mean? And at that point, we still had a couple hours to go until last shooting light. I'm like,

shifting already on me and next thing you know to like swung around again and then just hit the back of my neck. The wind did and then blew right to him and I he was coming and as soon as that wind hit like maybe 10 seconds later he just stopped and he's just like kind of looking around put his nose up in the air she's kind of like watching him I could see her out of my peripheral of my right eye and he just turned around and just walked away and

As he kind of got a little bit further away, I did do a little small grunt. And he didn't really care. He just walked and moseyed away. I was like, dang, I think that would have been my chance. And you always hear you have that one chance, that one chance. And the next weekend, being Halloween, we had really crappy weather. Somebody was sick in my house. And I got out to hunt that Friday.

Dan Johnson (38:27.771)
Yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (38:50.331)
think that Saturday, something happened Saturday where I didn't get a chance to go out as like I would have loved to on that. then I went, then I left to Ohio and had a successful fill my tag there. Really cool to be with my friend. He shot a buck like the first night we got there basically. And I was 30 yards up from the tree from him. The next day had a ton of encounters, two really good bucks.

And then that following day is when I got in in the morning had four dough come down to logging road. He came out of the timber spot and by the time he hit that logging road, I was already at full draw and put a really I'm confident in that shot. Basically he was like walking away from me and he was very close. mean, 10 yards and I had an opening and I was like, man, I'm going to just drive this arrow right up in them.

And just just knowing 70 pounds. I, you know, I still using mechanical, but I just I was just confident in that shot. So was like, two things are going to happen. Either that arrow is going to just drive straight up in him. He'll pile up or I'm going hit that for moral. And he's still going to pile up not far. And the first option happened. I just drove it right above his like kind of left hip. And the only thing that I saw as he was running away and when I went to him was just the knock like the little light and knock. That was it.

Dan Johnson (40:13.879)
wow. That's some badass penetration.

Antler Up Podcast (40:15.81)
And he rent. Yeah, dude, it was like he ran like 30 yards barrel rolled and landed on his belly. And I could see him through the tree where I was in my saddle, just watching this all transpire, picked his head up once, put it down and that was it. And like when I cleaned them out, when I field dressed them, the heart was the bottom end of the heart was just split in half like that. Yeah, it was pretty awesome. So that was a.

Dan Johnson (40:40.198)
buddy.

That's awesome.

Antler Up Podcast (40:44.421)
Cool day then later on our my other friend killed that like later on that morning And then his his wife killed a buck so there was like deer were just dropping in, Ohio those those couple days and came back and Again, it was just like weird. I got out maybe one other time like that weekend and and I I can't remember because then I went up to New York I went up to New York that one weekend and you could hunt Sunday here in PA didn't see it

Single deer that whole weekend. So I like I got skunked and I was like, alright well I guess I'll be trekking around with the rifle here in PA and Fast forward to this past weekend and Saturday night we or Saturday morning was our opening day shot a doe I kind of right off the rip that like ate something in the morning and Took care of her had a buck encounter later on the evening with my buddy kind of just went to a different spot and on Sunday morning

I did not bring my saddle, but I still brought my platform. And all I did was I put it like a foot off the ground just so enough that I could pull myself up and stand on it. And I did that because that's what I did even the day prior because I forgot my saddle. I was so excited. I did everything and I get to the tree that I was getting ready to climb down and I'm like, shit, I don't have my saddle. It was just, I don't know, I was just losing my mind. Yeah, it was like I remember my first day of hunting too.

Dan Johnson (42:05.849)
Ha

Brain fart. Yep.

Exactly.

Antler Up Podcast (42:12.614)
And yeah, but then that morning it was so cold and I was warm everywhere but my toes. And that's usually like what happens, but I wear, I don't know. I, I, for, I was perfectly fine Saturday all day. I didn't have any issues of being cold. The only thing that was cold on Sunday was my dang feet. So I messaged my buddy who was a couple of ridges above me I said, I'm going to go do a walk for you. Let me know if I kick anything up. And at this point, my

Good friend Tim is on the south side of our mountain and he already killed a buck real nice one. And so I walked to my friend Jim and as I'm walking to him, didn't kick anything. I meet up with him. I finally see the top of the mountain, just how awesome it is. Just sign of frigging rub was on every other tree. I swear it was just insane to see that. and the only scrapes that were out and about that we truly could find are just on the logging roads. Like if you walk through the timber, you'd be like, I guarantee you there'd be a scrape there.

Nope, just they're all on the logging roads. And we ended up meeting up with Jim and we said, let's go meet Tim. So we start walking our way over to see Tim and we're at the peak of the mountain and then going towards him. There's like a little mini bench and there was these rocks. We're like, let's just go hang out at these rocks for a little bit. So we have a snack, we're talking, we're doing this. And next to you know it, he's like, dude, there's a buck.

I'm like, what? He's like, yeah, buck, buck, buck. I'm like, what do mean? Like, where, where? He goes, it's bedded. I'm like, no way. So I put up my scope and I see the buck bedded and I needed to stand up to see, get a better look. So I stood up, he's still looking over at the edge. And as that is going on, I'm like, do you want him? He's like, no, you can have him. I'm like, all right, cool. And...

waited for the wind to pick up again to for myself to stand up on the rock to get even higher. I do that. And I'm like, dude, I could get them. I just need them to to stand up. So I'm going to make a sound. And as soon as I said that, I stepped on like a piece of leaf or something on on our rock. it just got enough heard it and stood up. I put the crosshairs on my buddies. Jim's like, dude, if you're on, I go, boom. I don't even let him finish what he was saying and shot the buck and nice little eight point.

Antler Up Podcast (44:36.301)
bomb down over, met up with Tim. Tim's like, dude, there's a dead buck right in front of me. I was like, yep, that was mine. So it was really cool. was just like, Jim shot a doe basically to right then and there. like the two of us killed two deer on basically seconds apart. Tim was packing out his deer. And so all three of us packed out a deer that afternoon. It was pretty freaking cool.

Dan Johnson (44:59.844)
That's awesome, dude. I mean, that sounds like an eight season to me. It sounds like, like my season was a little different. Like, any time I go to South Dakota, whether I kill a deer or not, that's a 10. Like, I don't know what it is about that place. Do I get frustrated and bitch about the deer? Yes, I do. But that's on me, not on the deer, right? Every year I've gone out there, I've seen decent deer. I've seen...

Antler Up Podcast (45:04.939)
Yeah.

Dan Johnson (45:28.418)
decent numbers of deer. It's just a matter of me trying to get into shooting range. And I did that this year. 10 Kansas 10 got to go experience something that I've never placed. I've never hunted before. Got to hunt with my uncle who I haven't hunted with for decades. What feels like a decade or more. And then, of course, on top of that, I did shoot a buck. And so I had an absolute blast in those two scenarios.

The court is still out on Iowa. The rut was crazy this year. Everybody I talked to in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northern Missouri, Eastern, basically Eastern Plains states, just different. Everything was completely different this year. And I want to talk about that here in just a little bit. But my season was a success and there's still time to hunt. You know, I still have

my archery bow tag that I can fill late season. And I also have a muzzleloader tag that I can fill this season. So there's still quite a bit of time left to get the job done there. Now, one thing that somebody brought up to me this year of why the the rut in a lot of the country was whack this year was the fact that we had

Antler Up Podcast (46:52.089)
Mm-hmm.

Dan Johnson (46:56.219)
So many hurricanes hit the southeastern part of the United States causing irregular weather patterns further inland. And so I looked at this, I'm looking at it right now. Here are all of, and this infected the Caribbean, obviously, Mexico, obviously, but also obviously when anything comes into the Gulf of Mexico, it's gonna affect the South.

in some way shape or form that pressure system is going to move up into the rest of the country. And check these dates out.

Let's even go back one more here. September 26th, Florida. That affects weather throughout the entire country. October 6th, that hit Florida. We had October 19th hit the Gulf of Mexico. We had Bahamas in Florida, and I think it was a hurricane that it turned into a tropical storm. And there's no date with this one, but in between.

October 9th and November 6th. Then we had November 6th, one hit there. And so this continued pressure was coming up into the United States. And I'm thinking this had something to do with the amount of East winds that I was seeing this year, which is abnormally overkill, East winds for me. My question to you is Pennsylvania, Ohio, where you are at.

Did you see irregular weather patterns? Did you have consistent winds at all? Or were they like just, were things out of whack as well?

Antler Up Podcast (48:40.73)
Yeah, things were definitely out of whack. even because I remember even talking to some of my buddies and I was like, man, I'm really not getting out the hunt and like PA much and like, well, you're not missing much to like this weather sucks. And like, yeah, I know. And it was just kind of like I need to go back now and do my what I usually do at the end of the year is just like kind of look at those days I hunted and look at those like what patterns that I see there basically. But yeah, I mean, it was like when I went to Ohio.

that day that I got in there, it rained like the night before in the morning of, and that was the first rain they got in like months in Ohio. So that was like, now I obviously I was happy about that because it was good for some movement. But as far as like P.A. goes, like my the winds were all odd compared to what it was always like you said, like east winds were kind of crazy. We got a lot of like

North, we got a lot of Northwest, because where I hunt back at home, if I got a North wind, I'm okay. When it starts getting like Northwest, that's when it's not good for me. And then a couple Western winds, but yeah, we, it was just.

Looking back at some of those days, even talking to my dad that if I didn't hunt, I just remember him saying a lot this year is, I don't have a good wind, I don't have a good wind. I'm gonna go up here, I'm gonna go up here, I'm gonna go down here, just because of the way the wind was. And it was warm too. We didn't have a very cold, cold fall until later on.

Dan Johnson (50:15.359)
Yeah, there were definitely days where it was in the high 40s, which I mean, I don't think in the rut, a high there's like high 40s are an issue. We did have some, you know, 50s and 60 days as well. But I never had that feeling when I stepped outside. In the morning where you can see your breath and you're just like kill day, like today is a kill day. And I just didn't have those feelings. felt.

Antler Up Podcast (50:20.914)
That's not bad.

Antler Up Podcast (50:36.991)
Yeah. Yeah.

Dan Johnson (50:43.228)
humid, felt stagnant outside. It just felt like they're whatever. Just the feeling itself was just placed over top of the Midwest this year and nothing cra- like nothing exciting happened. It was just, it was like gravy. It just felt slow and sticky and I don't know and there was never any days where it's like, hold on to your ass because here comes the rut. Like there was none of that. And so I'm just

Antler Up Podcast (51:08.071)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dan Johnson (51:11.37)
trying to feel people out about like the wind, the wind was always for me. Now that I'm thinking about it, the wind was never really consistent in a specific direction. Like there were days where I had to hunt in East wind, but I also had to hunt it for Northeast, Southeast, East, you know, basically the entire range. And as I'm sitting in the tree, there were times in every set where I'm just like,

Antler Up Podcast (51:32.853)
Mm-mm.

Dan Johnson (51:40.756)
Dude, I'm getting busted tonight because there was never a time where the wind was just set. It was just all over the place. And I think on top of that, with the pressure systems, the, I don't know, I just felt like thermals weren't even doing what they were supposed to be doing, especially on the random crisp, cool mornings. I just felt even in the afternoons, they were dropping and

Antler Up Podcast (51:42.431)
Mm-hmm.

Antler Up Podcast (51:47.689)
Yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (52:09.877)
Mm-hmm.

Dan Johnson (52:10.642)
And being, and I would say that in the mornings there were a couple places, especially on major terrain features where I was able to do that, but predominant wind trumped thermals this year, a lot of the places where I was at and just wacky is all I can say.

Antler Up Podcast (52:25.845)
Yeah. Yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (52:29.974)
Yeah, yeah, I like the wacky and gravy term because that's I could totally relate to that for this year.

Dan Johnson (52:36.967)
Yeah, yeah. And so as you kind of look back, mean, I mean, you put tags on deer where you hunt, but is there anything like I look back now and there are a couple of things that I think I should have done once I got once I got some more information about the properties, but I kind of just kind of I went back to old faithful. It's just, you know, it's going to take time. It's going to take time.

And I never got ultra aggressive on, on the, on, cause I thought we're going to come out of this pattern. We're going to come out of it. Well, we didn't come out of it. And so for me, I look at that and I'm just like, I should have cannonballed into a spot knowing I was going to jump deer and then kind of waited it out. I don't know.

Antler Up Podcast (53:30.389)
Yeah, that's a like my Ohio trip was kind of like that like the first night we got there my friend I mean, it's his property where he grew up. I mean he lives in PA now, but it's it's family area and he's like dude We're gonna the oak tree produce this year when I was out here earlier. We're go in there I guarantee we're gonna see deer and I mean we were set up and then literally half hour later deer like working their way in and I was like, wow, okay, like this is it. Here we go and We we hunted that evening. Like I said

within two hours, a buck came underneath him and he took a good shot with his trad bow and that was his third deer of the year with the trad bow. took one in Maryland, took one in Ohio, obviously, then one in PA. but like that evening walking out again, the one field that we go through, basically, it was like the second year in a row where I had an encounter walking out of this field with just like a giant buck and there were like three doe.

They also like bedded in this field basically and I was like, okay, so we know they're still hanging around the next morning. We basically got up in the same trees and like I said, we had deer action all all day and then he left and because to meet up with his good friend Kyle and I stayed in those air in that area and I had deer all day and I just passed a couple of younger bucks and all that stuff. But walking out on that field, it was like dark, dark.

and I didn't even use my headlamp. I'm just like falling like where I normally go. And there was a patch of woods to my right and I always loved it. And basically when it would dip down and bottoms out, it connects to where I was basically going on that little mini upslope. And I just, the terrain on the map looks like what I hunt here, what I've always grown up hunting. When you get into it, it's a little bit like it, but it's not, it's still Ohio. It's more hilly and briar than it is.

you know, timber. And so walking out there that night, I saw a couple deer, like just the silhouettes and they bombed down in in over there. one sounded heavy footed. And when I got back to to meet up with my buddy, he's like, where are you going to go tomorrow? I said, I'm going to go right in there where I I've sent you way points where I like I want to finally hunt that finally this year. And he's like, OK, sounds good. And like that's what I did in the morning. And like I said, I.

Antler Up Podcast (55:50.091)
walking down, I wanted to get a little bit further, but there was just, it was like a briar patch that I was afraid I was even going to clip my string and break my string on my bow. was that bad. So was like, let me just back up a little bit, a couple of yards, get off that logging road, a couple of yards the best I can. And those deer literally in the morning just came walking right down that logging road, the doe did, and the buck kind of worked opposite, came through the timber. But it was like using my instincts on that one a little bit, but

but I went away from the old faithful of like where we were basically. like, you you always hear you gotta put time and you gotta put time in. I was like, I'm going to save that for maybe like a Saturday hunt just in case, because it is old faithful basically. But I was like, I'm going to try this. I'm going to bomb in here, just see what I see. And it worked out for me.

Dan Johnson (56:40.943)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here's what I will say. I'm already thinking about once the season's over. I got permission from a landowner to do a little bit of I guess you'll say I'm not going to call it like any type of real deer management because I am not going to do it the right way. Long story short, I got the OK to basically cut down some Osage orange trees and some black locust trees to

Allow sunlight to get to the ground and make it thicker in certain areas and that's the whole point there and I'm gonna match those up with terrain features on on some of this and I don't know man I'm thinking about one. I have to move a tree stand probably 60 yards to get really get it micro adjusted into this pinch point and then I have

to add, add slash move two more tree stands into a new location as well. And I feel like once I do that and then being able to micro adjust with, you know, the saddle and all that stuff, I'm going to have this farm.

just the locations pegged and that next year I'm gonna, I don't wanna call my shot, but based off of this work that I'm planning on doing, now who knows if I get it done or not because of life, know, but if I can do a couple of these pocket, like tree cutting deals matched with a really good tree stand location and terrain features, dude, I'm gonna have it set up and it's gonna be.

Antler Up Podcast (58:15.707)
Yeah.

Dan Johnson (58:30.48)
Kill City, you know what I mean? So, yeah, yeah. Outside of all of that, how many, like, did this season's goals and expectations match the outcome so far?

Antler Up Podcast (58:31.483)
Yeah, yep, I love to hear that.

Antler Up Podcast (58:49.233)
I would say like a good bit, yeah. I mean, like I said, my main goal is definitely for sure to leave Ohio with that tag field on a good deer too. And that happened and had that really cool encounter with like a big mature deer there as well. Having that close call in PA in that early October timeframe to kind of solidify like...

I don't want to make it sound like, like, hey, I know what I'm doing. But it just kind of put that other like little notch there. Like I he beat he beat me by not not let me shoot him. But I also beat him also just because I got in that spot and I saw him basically and almost was able to do that. Like it's just that learning factor of of that, basically, of where I feel like it was also a win because of that learning aspect. Really, the only time that I felt like

Deflated was that weekend that I went up to New York and then was able to hunt that Sunday here in archery for PA because Kind of like what you said earlier like that was finally like the day like that was the day where I felt like it was cold enough it just had that good feeling and Leading up to that like even like the two that Friday Saturday a couple of my cameras where I was going to hunt were We're like having some deer on them. I Was like I just think it's that week. It's usually that day where we

would be wrapping up our old season basically in PA because of what they extended it this year basically. And I'm like, I always had deer on camera during this timeframe, like move in, I would always want to hunt it. I just felt right. And not seeing anything those two days was like, dang, like what happened? Like what went on? And then it's, and I've the last couple of years as an adult taking the gun out, I just never felt confident with it. Like I felt confident shooting it, but just seeing bucks.

Like I'm not the, I wanna go walk around, like that's what I end up doing because I get antsy with the gun in my hand compared to a bow, but I don't know, I just never felt like, it's going to happen or very confident of filling a tag basically. And the way that it did, I was thrilled. Like was awesome shooting one right next to my best friend and stuff like that. But at the same time, it's like, it was also a kind of luck, know, like kind of typical.

Dan Johnson (01:01:07.216)
Yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (01:01:08.617)
typical rifle hunting, just the experience and the moment was awesome.

Dan Johnson (01:01:12.869)
Yeah. Is it too early to start talking about next year?

Antler Up Podcast (01:01:19.239)
I don't think so. really don't just I mean my dad and I damn we're just doing that the last two days like we're like because he he ended up filling his buck tag the same day that on Sunday for PA rifle as well and We were like, all right, like he was all pumped because I didn't kill a buck of there at or he and I honey's like that just means one one more hopefully we'll survive and and all that stuff so he we're just like, okay, we got to come up with a game plan when I could come in and we could go scout because the one

The one spot that I had that buck encounter in in early October or mid October was a spot where I hunted a lot as a kid with the rifle. But the last decade, we kind of let it go during bow season just because of our other locations that we kind of hunt. And I was like, dad, let's go put a reveal down there. And we did. And Dan, like the intel we got from this past season there was.

Dan Johnson (01:02:04.421)
Yeah.

Antler Up Podcast (01:02:14.161)
phenomenal because we would walk it now during rifle season and it would still be tore up. I'm like, we got to get a camera in here. We just got to see, we got to hunt, we got to spend time. And this year we both did. We both spent time in there hunting it just to gain experience. We also put some cameras in to see what's movement is like. And so now we're like coming up with that game plan already for next year of when, when can we scout it? How, how will we approach it a little bit differently? Because, it was

during the rut, was just on fire. So we'll see what happens.

Dan Johnson (01:02:46.959)
Yeah, yeah. I don't know, man. I'm always, always thinking I would like to get at least one more deer in my freezer, I think, for this year. I also would like to shoot a giant buck yet this year in Iowa. We'll see what happens if that's an option. I'm going to knock on a couple doors over the course of the next couple days.

Antler Up Podcast (01:02:56.767)
Mm-hmm.

Dan Johnson (01:03:13.526)
just for a late season option close to my house. And when I mean close, I mean right down the road. There are a couple farms that I know they have shotgun hunters that go through them, but post shotgun season, if I go, man, I got a doe tag, I got a muzzleloader, excuse me, I got a muzzleloader tag, I got a daughter who has to fill her youth tag, like, can I just hop in there and shoot a doe or something like that? And I think they would be okay with that, but.

Outside of that, it's never too early in my opinion to start thinking about next season. Even if this season is over, that just tells me you're passionate about it. Outside of that, anything else we got to cover today?

Antler Up Podcast (01:03:56.682)
No, man, I think that was a good one. That was fun.

Dan Johnson (01:03:58.894)
Yeah, yeah. Couple girl dads here just chatting that chatting it up. So, hey, man, I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to hop on and, BS with me a little bit and, be sure everybody dude, like I'm not just promoting it when I say this, but Jeremy does a really good job, at with the antler up podcast. Make sure you give that a,

Antler Up Podcast (01:04:04.802)
Yep.

Dan Johnson (01:04:27.502)
I don't give it a fair shot. He does really good things over there on that podcast. He has some really good guests, covers some really good topics. Go check that out. Jeremy Mann, thank you very much for doing this today. And I'm not sure when I'm gonna chat with you next, but if I don't, have a Merry Christmas, man.

Antler Up Podcast (01:04:45.942)
You too, Dan. Thanks for everything.

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