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Hope you guy's enjoy! Hit the follow button, rate and give the show a comment!
GET YOUR HECS HUNTING GEAR :https://hecshunting.com/shop/?avad=385273_a39955e99&nb_platform=avantlink&nb_pid=323181&nb_wid=385273&nb_tt=cl&nb_aid=NA
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What's going on. It's American Mike with Backdown Productions. Mike, I just want to take the opportunity to thank you for letting me share this with your listeners. On June 29th, from 11 am to 7 pm, we are hosting a fundraiser for Echo Farms Hunting Club out in Henryville, pennsylvania. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for youths. If anyone is interested in attending this fundraiser, please feel free to hit me up, hit Mike up, contact any one of us and we will get tickets mailed out to you.
Speaker 1:Tickets will no longer be on sale after June 15th. From there it will be the gate fee only of $30. Kids price remains the same. At the fundraiser it'll be the gate fee only of $30. Kids price remains the same. At the fundraiser it'll be food and drinks and kids entertainment. We're gonna have a bouncy house, popcorn machine, cotton candy machine, a bunch of games set up for the kids. So it's a family-friendly event. It's not just for hunters. We have an archery competition going on. We have first, second and third place trophies. We got a bunch of raffle prizes being donated from certain companies. We have a lot set up and a lot planned and I would greatly appreciate all of the support I can get towards this event, whether you can make it or not. We are accepting donations, whether you want to donate cash directly to the event or something to raffle off for a prize.
Speaker 3:Any and everything is appreciated and thank you very much. Welcome back to the garden state outdoors and podcast presented by boondocks hunting. I'm your host, mike Mike Nightring, I'm Frank Mestico and we got the amazing American Mike Mr Back Damn Productions himself back in it to wrap up his whole season. I mean, we have a story for you guys that I don't. I've never heard of this happening to three friends, but I I'm very excited for for this story to be told. But you know something that we've talked about a lot you're on the last episode of everything. Yet again, a big congratulations to the, to the season that you had. It was truly amazing. And congratulations on one year with Backdam Productions. And also, you guys are an official LLC now, so congratulations on that. A lot of big things to come.
Speaker 4:Yes, sir, thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be on More than excited, to share the excitement with everyone else. Mike knows how I get.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, Now, yes, I do. So what do you want to start with? I mean, a lot of the listeners out there they've heard have you been on since you killed your hit list buck?
Speaker 4:Did you tell that story? It was right before. It was right before. Yeah, OK, OK so it was literally a couple of days after the podcast that that happened. Hey, we got a.
Speaker 3:Boondocks hunting podcast. Bump right there.
Speaker 2:That's it.
Speaker 4:The last episode was when we talked about the 10-pointer during the rut coming into the hot shot. So it was the same exact setup that I hunted again. So this property that I'm on, it's a shared property between 10 members. I just got on it this year and from when I killed the 10 pointer I didn't hunt again until I sat for simply with a muzzleloader because I had no buck tags and my freezer was already pretty much full. So I was like, you know, there's no point in me really going out there right now. And I tried. I even invited Mike out a. So I was like, you know, there's no point of me really going out there right now. And I tried. I even invited Mike out a couple of times to, you know, try to get other people on deer, but from the sit.
Speaker 4:When I killed the 10 pointer there was a nice vacation. Pa rifle season had just opened up. So I was up there at that hunting club, you know, enjoying the weekend with them. And it was the monday. Monday, the 27th of november was the day that permanent muzzleloader, or if it was just muzzleloader in general, had opened up for those two days, the 27th and the 28th. And it's funny because when I killed the 10 pointer, everyone's like, oh, so what are you going to do about simpy? Simpy was the name of the hit list buff. I was like, oh, don't worry, I got a hot 50 cal for his ass, like that. That was my mentality, going into everything. So we were hanging out at the lodge for a opening rifle season so, um, you know, drinks were included and you know you tend to wake up a little late getting into the woods.
Speaker 4:So I actually got into my blind. Just the other day. I was just reminiscing through my camera and I got into the blind around like 6, 38. So there's already. That's like past gray light. You know, anything could see me moving then. But when I pulled in there was no deer. So I was like, okay, I'm clear, I'm not bumping anything, I'm good, let me just run my ass into the blind.
Speaker 4:Ran into the blind, I hung my orange vest on outside of the blind and when I got in the blind I got a note from another member that said that they were hunting close and they wanted me to move my setup. So I'm like, okay, fine, at the end of today's set, whether whatever happens or not, I'm going to move my setup. So I sat there for that day because they only hunt during six days. I'm on a great piece of property that the other nine guys only hunt during six days, so I took advantage of it to get out there earlier than the rest of them, and you know I have the bucks to speak for it. So after reading the note I was a little discouraged like God damn, you know, this sucks. I got to move myself. I killed a really nice deer out of this spot Anywho.
Speaker 4:So it came to like just about 710, right around there, because the video that I have is at exactly 711. So like around 710, I get a text from James. James is like how's it going out there? I didn't tell James that I got in the woods late because he would rip me a new one. So I just I said you know what, before I tell him that I haven't seen anything, let me just look. So I peeped out just a little bit because the way how I'm facing in this field, I could face the entrance of the property, but there's like a good amount of field to my left that I can't see because the way the blind is set up. So I said let me just peep to the left. I said let me just peep to the left. I peeped to the left.
Speaker 4:I kid you not, my hit list buck is like maybe a hundred yards, if not, you know, 80 yards for me, and the shakes were non-stop. I'm shaking. I went. I totally forgot to put the primer in the damn muzzleloader so I cracked open the muzzleloader. I don't know why. I turned the muzzleloader upside down to put the primer in. The primer fell down. I'm looking on the ground in the blind for the thing. I'm looking at the deer to make sure he's still there. I'm trying to shoot up the shooting sticks and I'm like you know what Screw the shooting sticks? Let me just try to kill this thing.
Speaker 4:I've been after this deer for a while and that was probably the second or third time that I've seen it in person. But this time I got the gun to reach the distance. So I put my crosshairs on and my nerves are bad. I'm like I could fault on. My end was not relaxing. I don't think I even gave my chance of the time to relax. I pulled the trigger, a cloud of smoke and all you saw was the deer laying there. So I pulled my phone out. The first thing I did I pulled my phone out. I'm recording it. I'm recording my reaction to the whole thing. I'm like he's down, sippy is down. I think I kept saying there is a God, there is a God right. And I picked the frame back up and his head is up. I'm like, holy fuck, he's still alive. So apparently I spine shot at him. But I guess the impact caused him to drop completely, because when I first saw him I'm like, oh shit, you know that was a great shot. He dropped right there, he didn't go anywhere, but apparently I spine shot at him. So now here I go again.
Speaker 4:I don't know for anyone out there that hunts with a muzzleloader. It's's not that easy to reload, especially while your knees are in, your hands are shaking. You're pouring that black powder down. You got the freaking slug in. Then you got that little piece that rams it in just a little bit to get the ramrod and ram it all the way down there and I have my ramrod marked that I know where. It's like you know, completely compact. So I'm ramming it, I'm ramming it, I'm looking, I'm like shit, I'm not doing it, I'm ramming it, I'm ramming it, I'm shaking out. I was a complete mess. Man and um, I just have the audio. I don't have the video, but I put the phone in my pocket recording while I walked up to it, and I put another one in it and I mean, within seconds he died right there.
Speaker 4:And um simply was. He was one of my smaller deer, uh, but he meant so much more than I think I like he's up there with Chubbs man Like this is Chubbs, right here as in the. Just the meaning to me, after going after him for so long and putting in all these hours and, you know, putting up different trail cameras, this was the first time I put my all into this one deer and just getting him, it had the waterworks going. I stood there, I freaking, bawled my eyes out. You know, the thoughts of my grandmother came back to me because I feel like, like this season was definitely a gift from my grandmother. I just lost her last season and, um, you know this was one of the best seasons I've ever had.
Speaker 4:And uh, first buck with the muzzle loader. Ah, that that was. That was a cool feeling. Um, yeah, man, it was just too much to to. You know, take in at one time. I think I have a video where I'm saying to myself no one's gonna believe this, no one's gonna believe it. The last time I was hunting I killed the buck.
Speaker 4:I came back out the very next time, waited for permit muzzleloader and I shot a buck. And even though I waited for permit muzzleloader, I started questioning myself. I'm like, wait, was I supposed to shoot a buck? Because it felt like too close together of shooting deer. Like I was like damn, I just shot a monster the other day. I just shot this one.
Speaker 4:Uh, it felt, it felt amazing that that right there is like probably my most memorable hunt and that's at the top of the list. Like he, he knocked, knocked everything out, even more than my first bear man. Like like the bear I I didn't track the bear I didn't know. Like okay, that's the one I want to shoot. You get what I'm saying. But chasing this deer and having the emotional back and forth, like you know, you go in there thinking you're gonna kill him that day but you don't see jack shit. And then you go in there with your cousin just to show him what it's like hunting and then you see him. It was, it was an emotional game trying to get that deer on the ground and I got it, and it was just. I wish I could do it all over again.
Speaker 3:Don't we all? I mean, but, mike, what was your total? So what was your total this year for this season? I mean, like you said, this has been your best year so far, going to be definitely a season hard, hard to top. You know, I think if you get a Turkey, obviously then it's. This is pushing even past, I think your your wildest expectation. But what was your? Your final number of animals harvested this year?
Speaker 4:so I got two bucks, four does, two bears, yeah, and a couple of squirrels, yeah, that's amazing season. I love, I love the squirrels man the freeze.
Speaker 3:The freezer is awfully full. I got another one. You did so well you had to buy another one. So what, what's your freezer count? How many was that? Three in the freezer? What do you know? I'm no like. How many freezers do you have?
Speaker 4:yeah, oh, that's, that's me and you business. I want people to be like oh, this guy's a hoarder or something. This way, let's just put it this way each family member in the house has their own freezer jesus christ, and I tend to like rent in the other freezers. Just hide it in there, they won't know oh my god, that that's insane.
Speaker 3:Um, something that we have to know. We did talk about on the what says. We talked about the tongue. Nevermind, I completely forgot. You were just on as well, for the um round table segment that is dropping, I believe, tomorrow, um, but so I remember getting that call.
Speaker 3:I don't, I don't know what the hell I was doing. I think I was going scouting or something and and you're like, can you come up? And I was like, yeah, like this was all in Blairstown, so like this was past, where I needed to go. But, like you know, we all do it for each other. You know, and I know how much this meant to you and in the minute it was crazy, because I think you said that if anything came by, it was going to be down. I think, right, I think it was. Or like, at least a dough, at least a dough. I think your expect, expectation was a dough, um, but to find out it was, it was your target buck after just getting a incredible buck with with archery, um, so I came up there.
Speaker 3:First of all, people, this property is absolutely beautiful and Mike's spot that he is talking about is. I kind of talked about it on the round table segment. But this man is the ultimate ground blind hunter. This was the perfect setup, the best setup I love he used not only the stream and water and I'm always a huge fan of water but also the natural water does break up any other human noise that you're going to make too. And he's pushed up basically right next to the bank. So I think that was just your perfect setup and I mean you have the whole view of the property. You have a ridge up behind you but everything coming down or anything working out in front of you, as you could see and if you know, for everyone who follows them, like deer were always in front of them and you could see them and that's the great, that's the one great thing.
Speaker 3:It's like I love hunting in the thick stuff, but it's like have you don't know when they're really there, like they can be sneaky as hell, but this is like all right, and it's still snuck up Like deer still snuck up on Mike and like you know. So it just goes to show how crazy things can get. But I mean that deer was beautiful. I mean I didn't get to see the other one I've seen now Chubbs and Simpy and just a really unique, beautiful six-pointer, right, just like a. Was he a six? Yeah, just a beautiful six, he was wider.
Speaker 4:He was wider than Chubbs. He is wider than Chubbs, yeah.
Speaker 3:A wide six.
Speaker 4:Yeah, when.
Speaker 2:I saw the trail camera photo yeah, when I saw the trail camera photo.
Speaker 4:When I saw the trail camera photos, I told mike I was like dude, if he's not bigger than chubbs, he's definitely wider than chubbs.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think he was wider than him by like an inch and a half yes, which is which is, which was very impressive, but just a beautiful day and that was such a fun. It was a beautiful, beautiful day. We had a lot of fun where, um, I was filming Mike and everything like that and taking pictures what which I will do anytime the guys need it, and everything like that. Um, you know something, also a little FYI, something possibly coming in in the next, next year hint, hint to any of you guys out there, I'll be dropping the news, probably sometime in the off season, but I do have a plan set in motion, um, but that that hunt was not even the hunt, cause I didn't hunt, but that day was just kind of perfect. And then I got to head back home, finally finally get to see Mike, and with another buck and everything like that, cause, of course, the day he wanted to kill you know that big 10, I had to go to freaking work and he couldn't kill the deer the day before when I was out hunting and like 30, 25, 30 minutes away from him, where would have made my life easier. No, he had to make it difficult, but you know just the season.
Speaker 3:I'm actually, like I said, I'm extremely proud and it only gets better because we thought it was going to be, oh, like the season's done, you know, yada, yada, yada it, it got even better. We did a six day hunt too, which, which was fun together as well, something that we're going to be doing more often, like I keeps it, like that was so much fun to do and just being with the guys and everything like that, and then heading up to to the camp and having a drink and having dinner, like you definitely miss that and you know it is a great tradition for sure. But uh, do you want to get into the other ultimate story that even I would have to say that this is even better of a story because, yet again, I think it's so rare that I don't think this happens very often, maybe with deer? Yes, I think it may happen more often with deer, but not with bear, or at least I haven't heard of this happening with bear.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'll get into that in a few more minutes. I just want to cover simpy completely and then move on to the next topic. Go ahead, go ahead. So once he was down on the ground, I, uh, I walked up to him and you know we put that second shot into him. And once he was come down, I don't think I touched him until mike got there. To be honest, like I just stood over this deer for about two hours and just admired everything and soaked it in this deer, literally spooled up in front of my eyes, like I just stood there, I didn't sit, I didn't walk, I didn't leave, I left the gun that I stood right there for two hours and I'm calling almost every single person in my contact to tell them that I got this deer. And uh, it was. It was amazing man.
Speaker 4:Like I was calling people, or I spoke to to city boys outdoors, I spoke to Gerard, I spoke to my whole team. I'm calling Kevin. Kevin just got. Um, kevin was sleeping. But I called Rupa. Rupa just got home from work, because Rupa works night shifts Just got home from work. I'm like bro, I know you're sleeping, but I got to tell you Sippy's on the ground. He's like for real. I was like, yeah, he's like, congrats, man.
Speaker 4:Go back to sleep it was cool, just calling everyone, letting them know. I spoke with my parents, I spoke with my sisters, I called everyone Within two hours. I was just calling everyone and if anyone out there wants to be one of those that get the first call, you know, hit me up. I have no problem. I love sharing that. Normally the first people to know is everyone in that freezer fillers chat. So if anyone snapchat and wants to join in on that chat, you can hit me or mike up. We'll gladly throw you in there. You got snapchat sees it first. I mean anything that I do, snapchat sees it first. Um, but that one spot of service sucks. So social media snapchat. Nobody knew. That's why I kept calling everyone to let them know. Like yo, I got this there. I finally got there and I appreciate mike coming to help me out because I don't think I would have been able to put in the truck by myself yeah, no, it was.
Speaker 3:Uh, it was definitely fun and you know, the classic tradition is the butt plug and then hanging up the nuts. So, like you always got to do that. Um, frank, do you what? I didn't learn this until after dealing, like, dealing with mike, but like, do you, do you have any traditions or anything like that? After you you kill a buck, is there anything specific you do? Because mike likes to now me too as well, and mike's got a couple people doing it. We hang up the uh, the testicles up in a tree where you, where you killed, the area that you killed the deer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, it's actually funny you say that because I do the same thing. But literally the first thing I do when I walk up to the deer. I basically like I was really close to my grandfather, so I always just like give him like like a nice little salute, you know. And uh, you know, yeah, then I just start going from there. But definitely I, I am a big fan of hanging them up, unless I don't want nobody to know my spot, then I won't do it.
Speaker 3:Got it Got to be discreet when, when hanging them up, sometimes I have one that's still I mean the testicles gone, but it's still like, there's still like residue or whatever a little bit of skin that's left over. What that's been like? I think three, three years. Now, mike right, three or four years, now three years, I think. I think, yeah, three years. So you know, it's a really cool tradition that I don't know where did you even get that from, james?
Speaker 4:So, if I'm not mistaken, I think the term is called a Snow White something or something like that. But James is the one that told me about it, because James was the one that put me on my first buck ever. I call him Otis from Open Season because he was just yeah, yeah, first buck ever. Who what I call him otis from open season? Because he was just yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:So james put me on our first buck ever and he was the one that was like chop his nuts off hanging in the tree. And I'm like what he's like? Yeah, chop its nuts off hanging in the tree and take a selfie with it. And I'm thinking he's like clowning the shit out of me. So I did it because, you know, at the end of the day he invited me out, I'm tell I'm going to do whatever he told me to do. I did it and come to find out. You know, other people will actually do it and it's been something that Rupa does, sam does, you know, kevin does it, everyone now is doing it, and some people think it's my trademark. It's not my trademark. It's something James told me to do and it's something James told me to do and I do.
Speaker 2:I was also told it's good luck.
Speaker 4:I don't know if that's bullshit or not but yeah, so from my understanding, you're basically leaving his manhood at his last resting place, or something like that. Like you're, you're giving respect to the deer, like there, man, this is yours, this stays here, but I'm taking everything else, something like that. Yes, makes sense. That's pretty cool. Yeah, yours, this stays here, but I'm taking everything else something like that, I guess makes sense.
Speaker 3:That's pretty cool. Yeah, no, uh, it's. It's something I do now as well, and you know, when I have kids or whoever I'm I'm taking out into the woods and teaching, that's gonna be something like hey, you gotta hang up the balls and you gotta get yourself a uh, a deer butt butt out plug. Yep, um, but, yeah, hell of a time. Hey, if there's anyone listening that also does that, please let us know. Like, send us a dm text message, what, whatever, like I I'm pretty interested to to find out if anyone else hangs up their dearest testicles in the woods and why they do, or where the the actual like, where it actually came from. Like, I would like to know that the research we might have to ask peyton to do that, because peyton does all the research and backstory, so a lot of things. So maybe we'll have peyton look it up and do some research. But, um, yeah, hell of a time. Absolute fun.
Speaker 3:First of all, and also, ladies and gentlemen, american Mike has the dream back pickup truck, like his whole hunting rig set up and fishing too is the coolest thing in the world.
Speaker 3:He has lights and everything, but everything's so organized and it's only going to be getting an upgrade, but it has inspired me that, like I was like now I need one of these things. Like I love how, but my truck is. But like the way you have it, there's so much more room, so much more space, and then you can actually stack things up if you really need to be, and then you could sleep in it too. Like you know so and I know that's your plan, so like that it's actually the great back damn production hunting rig Like it's. It's as close as you're going to get until you get yourself a bus or something like that, which I wouldn't mind all of us going in on a giant bus and we all just start doing hunting, road trips and stuff like that. We got to live out the bus and everything like that, but that would be pretty cool but that's why Rupa's got the minivan.
Speaker 3:We squad up in there seven people deep in the minivan next, next year for gun season, everyone just piles into rupa's car and we just we got to get a video that of just like all was just walking out.
Speaker 4:Just ridiculous, like outfits on or whatever, and just like and and I told him I was like yo, take the seats out from the back and put a freaking couch in there. He's got a full-size minivan. We could do a lot with that. Take the seats out from the back and put a freaking couch in there. He's got a full-size minivan. We could do a lot with that. Take the seats out, put a couch in there, or, if you want, a futon, so if you want to flip it out and sleep, yo, we could do a lot with that minivan. Drill some holes through the bottom, drive on the ice, ice fish, right right, listen, rupa, you got to do it.
Speaker 3:Listen, rupa, you got to do it. If you know, I, we all know rupin. He ain't listening to this, but we're gonna have to clip this part specifically for rupin. Just send it to him now.
Speaker 4:The bear oh, uh, yeah, before we get that, I'm actually starting this month. Like you said, that's just the beginning for the back of the truck. So for those of you who don't know, uh, it's an eight foot bed and I got one of those bed covers on it and my guy, ryan, he's local here in jersey city. If anyone's looking to get any audio or, you know, lights, anything done with your vehicle, he's. He's the guy to go to cleaning detailing anywho. So I got a light switch. So you open the door and you literally hit a light switch and I got lights in the ceiling.
Speaker 4:I got these, uh, like two inch hooks on each side of the truck. One side is for my salt water rods, one side is for my fresh water rods, and this year I've I invested a lot into like some bins, so I got bins for each thing. But now I plan on building like a drawer system and have it completely organized so that way I could store even more stuff in. And I'm debating on taking out the backseat because there's not a lot of times that I'll go out with enough people that I need the backseat, so I'm still seeing how that one goes. But yeah, I got a lot of plans for the back of that truck. I want to be able that I should be able to live out of it if I wanted to.
Speaker 3:That's always the goal. I agree with that. I definitely do. Now, now we don't dump, dump, dump, dump, dump music right now. American Mike, just just lead it off. I'm not, I don't want to say anything. No, no, nothing, no, no more build up. This is all you, everyone. I just want to let you know that this is a rare thing. That occurred truly blew my mind. It was. It was absolutely amazing. I can't remember if that was I might have been. I was at work, my phone, my phone. Just like mike said, everything is talked about in the freezer fillers and let me tell you, it blew up within I don't even know, like the first hour or whatever, when I was in work and I was just losing my mind the whole entire time at work saying oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. What the hell's going on like. This is insane. So, american bike, lead it off all right.
Speaker 4:So, uh, it all starts back to bear camp. Bear camp has wonderful things that happen each year. No, but there was this one spot Mike knows where it is. It's one of my pride and joy spots. It's the spot where I actually killed my bear in archery season and that was the spot that we were like, ok, we're going to try to, you know, take out the bear population, because we got some really good deer there, but we really haven't seen them that much due to the bears. So that was like the bear spot for everyone, anybody that wants to kill a bear. That's where, you know, we're going to go kill some bears.
Speaker 4:First day of sixth day, my plan was to go and sit in the stand all the way in the back, because I had stopped baiting back there in order to get whatever passes by, whether it's bear or deer, I could shoot it during sixth day. So when I got there, there was already four pickup trucks lined up in that little parking spot that's there and I get out the truck to talk to them to find out, like, know, are they driving? Are they gonna sit in there? So I'm like, oh, you guys are driving the woods. They're like no, we're just standing. I'm like, yeah, no, I could see that you're standing. Now are you guys going into the woods? Anywho, they were just a bunch of assholes. So I just ended up leaving and going to a completely different other spot. So I didn't get to hunt the spot that I wanted to on opening day itself. Um, I think we didn't hunt there for like two days and then when the dads of the group came up, which was kevin's dad and my dad, we ended up going there. I think it was wednesday now, don't quote me on these days, but I'm just giving you guys an example. So we ended up going there on Wednesday. Everybody did a morning sit. I mean, like there's like eight of us doing a morning sit on this one hill and, um, if anything passes by, it's dead pretty much. Um, ended up seeing jack shit. Anywho, I think this was either Friday morning or the following morning, I can't remember exactly which one it was.
Speaker 4:Beer camp takes a toll out of you because there's lots of drinking when you get back to the lodge and then you barely get any sleep and then you're up and at it in the morning, especially with James at camp. James is the guy that's like come on, let's go, let's go. And I'm like bro, I just want to sleep, I just want to rest. So we all said we're going to go to this hill, but we needed to go there early to beat the guys that got there the first day. So we got there I want to say like 4.30 in the morning and we sat and slept in the truck.
Speaker 4:Rupa and my cousin was in his van and me and James was in my truck and we sat and slept there for like a solid hour. We waited until daylight itself before walking in, but we just wanted to secure this small parcel of state land to ourselves. We didn't want nobody else humping it. Granted, anybody else could have pulled up, but we parked like assholes and like made sure that nobody else hunting it. Granted, anybody else could have pulled up, but we parked like assholes and like made sure that nobody else could fit. Um, so we waited till the light, till daylight started, and then we walked in. We had rupa hunt all the way in the back of the property and then me and james went to the highest part of the of the property. I'm calling it the property because it's like 70 or like 80 acres of just state land. It's a nice little square in the middle of nowhere. No one needs to know where it is.
Speaker 4:Um, so me and James are sitting at the top of the hill. I put my phone to record and it I put it on time lapse to record like the sky brightening and the clouds are moving and everything and rupa's maybe like a solid 250 yards in more. I put my phone to record and I literally crossed my arms and I laid down. I'm laying down on top of the mountain. Meanwhile, okay, I sprayed myself with blaze donut spray. I'm laying down on the top of the mountain. Meanwhile, okay, I sprayed myself with glazed donut spray. I'm laying down on the top of the mountain.
Speaker 4:James says I ended up falling asleep to the point that I was snoring. I don't recall that I was snoring, but apparently I was snoring. But in my slumber I just woke up to pow and James shoots a fucking Savage 220. I don't know if any of you out there know that shit is stupidly loud and he was only about eight yards from me and the thing that got me was he could have woken me up, but then again he had a valid point that I would have probably jumped out of my sleep to scare the bear that was coming in.
Speaker 4:But there was a bear coming from down the hill up towards us. Whether they were coming into the glazed donut spray that I sprayed on myself or they just wanted to know what's going on up there, I don't know. But I jumped out of my sleep. I looked at him what the fuck? He's a gluck. And there's a bear on the ground and I'm like what the fuck? Really, holy shit.
Speaker 4:Okay, now we're Snapchatting. We pull out Snapchat. I'm like James, you just had a fucking bear. Anywho, we get up to the bear. Rupa's texting us what happened. I'm like Rupa, you sit, stay back there, we don't need your help right now. You stay back there and James starts gutting the bear. He guts the bear, he flips it over, he drains it.
Speaker 4:Now I call my cousin because my cousin's sitting with RuPaul. I call my cousin. He's the goal boy, by the way. Call my cousin. I'm like yo, I need you to go to the truck and bring the sled. So he comes to me to get the truck and I don't know if maybe he pushed a bear towards us. I don't know if the bear came into the smell of the blood or what was going on.
Speaker 4:But at that moment james is like yo, there's a bear coming in. I'm like what? My? My immediate instinct was grabbing him. So I grabbed the gun and the bear's coming in and I'd want to say I took like a 45 yard shot and it just folded right there. I'm like what the fuck is going on?
Speaker 4:At this point I started to freak out because I'm like are these bears coming to attack us? What the fuck is going? I have no idea what's going on. And me and James are like yo, we need to get Rupa on one next. So now we're calling Rupa like yo, wherever you are, stop what you're doing, come, come this way, come this way. Rupa's like OK, all right, no problem, all right. We didn't really. Rupa didn't even know that we shot a bear, unless he opened Snapchat. He didn't know. Now I'm gutting my bear and Rupa's still not there. So I told my cousin yo, call him again, tell him to come over here.
Speaker 4:I'm gutting the bear and at that moment I'm showing Snapchat the power of these. What the hell is it? The field edge knives, the replaceable razor blades. I'm showing on Snapchat yo, look at this. It just cut right through the ribs, the sternum of the bear. I was pretty shocked so I'm recording like yo, look I'm cutting a bear. We hear a gunshot go off. I look, I'm like yo, was that Rupa? We're calling Rupa, rupa's not answering. We're texting Rupa, rupa's not answering. We're texting rupa, rupa's not answering snapchatting rupa rupa's not answering.
Speaker 4:We look in the chat, rupa goes what the fuck did he say, mike? He didn't even speak english. The shit said no, it was not english at all. Yeah, it was like I shoot bear, it run. I was like what? So I'm thinking, I'm thinking rupa's bullshitting us. So me and james didn't even bother to go and look or find him or do anything. We're like yo, let's get the bears back to the truck. Anyway, we get the bears down to the truck.
Speaker 4:I loaded up my bear and I told James I was like yo, I'm going to head to the weigh-in station Because, like I said Mike, as soon as I shoot anything, I'm like tag it, I'm getting it tagged, I'm getting a tag. I'm not sticking around to get in trouble, but shit, I wanted to tag it. So I told James can you go back? I left my cousin with them too. I was like you guys go back, find Rupa. He, I thought he was kidding because Rupert plays around too goddamn much. And um, we ended up meeting up at some sandwich spot and you know we were all talking about the hunt. But that was. That was like I was scared. I was, I was a little scared Cause I was like where are all these bears coming from.
Speaker 4:But the day when I got my bear with archery, when I shot my bear, at that time Sam was sitting with me. Sam also had a bear tag and James calls me as soon as I shot the bear and he's like dude, sit, another one's going to come in. And I'm like bro, I don't want to sit, I just want to go get the thing. Like, this is my first bear, I want to go get it, I want to put my hands on it. So I ended up gutting it. I gutted the bear and I left the bear there to go get the sled. When I came back with the sled, there was a bear next to the dead bear. So maybe they're coming into the blood. I don't know what it is. Maybe they're mourning each other's death beats me. But yo, tripling up on bears on the same day during beer camp, what? Even when we went back to the lodge? Oh, by the way, guys, do you know that you can cross state lines with bear but not bear? Did you guys know that? I?
Speaker 4:didn't know that as long as it's tied by the state, you can cross state lines. That makes no sense but, okay, yeah, we were camping up in Da Nang, so we wanted to know if we could take the bears back to camp. So that's what we did, and, um, that's my train. Oh fuck, oh, there's back here my professional memory.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I honestly that all I could think about is now bears something. Um, you hadn't gone back to to. I think you're on your way, maybe or no. You stopped somewhere, you stopped somewhere.
Speaker 4:We stopped because I had one bear in my truck and Rupa had two bears in his van. They're telling me yo, you need to stop and take one of these bears because he's just leveling out on all the crap in the back of Rupa's van. We had to stop to take a bear out of the van and put it into the truck and we ended up taking it back to camp and we butchered one. We took one to the butcher shop but we're going to try to do like a DIY, do the tanning ourself, because you know my taxidermy bill is out the roof.
Speaker 3:I can only imagine how expensive your bill is out the roof. I can only imagine how expensive your, your, your bill is for this year, just this year alone, jesus Christ. But what like really, what are the odds? Okay One, yeah, okay, that that's figured to happen. Then two it's like all right, like I saw that. I was like, oh. Then two it's like all right, like I saw that. I was like, oh my God. I was like they just doubled up. And then, when Rupa tried, speaking English in the group chat the fact that it was three, I was like oh my God. I was like God damn it. I think then did I come up later that day or the next day?
Speaker 4:Yeah, you came to see the Bears the same day.
Speaker 3:OK, all right, or the next day. Yeah, you, you came to see the bears the same day. Okay, all right. So I must have been at work and then I must have left, okay. So then peyton and I hunted. Yeah, okay, yes, I was at work. I was at work, peyton and I were leaving work early to come up because we were going to do a, a deer hunt all together. But we didn't know that. None of us knew that there are going to be three bears to be shot. So a lot of work was done, everything like that. The guys were tired, so pain, and I were the only ones that ended up going out and we only saw one dough, but three, three bears. Like it was really cool, didn't RuPaul's get a flat tire?
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, that was the first day. That was the first day when we well, the second day, because he came up the second day, that was his first day at camp we're all going out. That was with the parents and stuff. Okay, rupa was leading the way to the same mountain that we were going to. Rupa was leading the way and I just saw his van go. Oh shit, I'm looking at my dad. I'm like I'm pretty sure Rupa just got a flat tire. He's hazarding, I'm hazarding, kevin's hazarding. We all pull over on 80.
Speaker 4:I looked at Rupa like for you for those of you who don't know, rupa's a fucking character. But I looked at Rupa when we got out the truck. I said, look, you got two options, bro. You could sit here and wait for AAA, I'll call AAA for you, or you can come up before I could say he's like I'm coming with you. I'm like yo, you're just going to leave your van. He's like, yeah, I'm gonna grab everything I need. We're going to leave it. So we ended up leaving the van. James was a little bit ahead of us, so James't know this happened. So I texted James like yo, I got a job for you when you're done. James is a mechanic so he ended up switching the spare for us. But uh, that that was. Yeah. Bear camp is is a blast man and I honestly enjoy like the friendship and the togetherness more than the hunting. And that's like james is like wow, we gotta go kill shit. I'm like bro, just sit down here, take a drink just relax.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I agree, I think hanging out is is definitely the the better time of yeah, and it's cool to go out hunting. You know we've talked about a bunch recently on the podcast, especially this year, of like a change of pace. But you know it's not only just a change of pace of now we're hunting with a gun and everything like that. Like even when you're you're doing a drive or anything, there's like you know six, seven us at a time we're all doing this or we're all doing that and there's jokes that are going on. Like you know, we had bass hunting with us and we were just like cracking up by the text messages that that he sent you know of, you know of deer that you know he shot at and everything like that.
Speaker 3:And then you know I'm using Mike's muzzleloader. This is the first time I ever use a muzzleloader. So I don't honestly like I know, but also I don't know. So I'm like what the hell and I freaking before I even I buy mistake cock the gun back and I was like shit. I was like how do you decock it? I was like that's why I didn't tell you, that's why I texted you Like how do you decock this thing.
Speaker 3:I don't know if you remember and you're like, oh, this is very difficult, but I figured it out. I was able to decock it, it. But, and then we finally had deer come out and then james shot at the same deer that I had in sights. I was just waiting for it to come like 25, 50 yards closer. James let a shot off, we it looked like a good hit to me, like the way that the deer reacted and everything like that. I was like, oh, like all right, great, we got ourselves a deer down. Like that's great. You know, we all meet up to go track. And just like we couldn't find anything and Mike does, isn't the tracker in the group? Like he's not at all. And Mike was laying down the whole entire time we're tracking. So I was like, finally, I was like, oh, we're not going to find this deer. Like, so why am I wasting my time at this point? Like I've, I've done enough searching. Like me, james and a couple, we searched our asses off and I went, I go to sit down and I'm laying literally right next to Mike because Mike is stretched out like like, like this, just on the phone, just like staring up at the stars, like doing whatever, and you know. So I lay down next to him and all of a sudden, like I'm just staring and I just see white. I'm like what the hell is that? And I turned the flashlight on and mike had literally laid down right next to the, that white belly hair, and we were trying, we were trying to find the point of impact the whole entire time but we couldn't. But little did we know mike was laying right next to it. Then I went there and sit there and we finally noticed that there is. So we're able to determine that the, the slug just went too low and just gave a haircut. So we're able to go all right, cool, we'll pack it out and head back.
Speaker 3:And that's when we ran into the Woodcock and we had no idea what the hell this freaking. I was like what the hell is this? Like it was just staring, standing there and then it flew off and almost ran into bass and everything like that. It's so much fun when you do stuff like that and you know that's why it's always on the list of things to do during the hunting season. And just camp, just being at camp, any type of camp you do, and all you hunters out there. You know how it is Just the memories and and everything it's. It's really, I don't think at that point about hunting. It's more about the memories and the friendship and the families and and stuff like that and it's. It's a world two, what. Two or three years ago we burnt a whole couch.
Speaker 3:We set a whole damn couch on fire yeah yeah, yeah, we soaked it in gasoline too and we literally lit a whole, a whole couch on fire and it's, it's a blast. Like you're doing all these things, we had a great dinner, like you know, we we had a lot of things and it's a lot of fun and it's just different and it's a different pace. And you know, I always recommend it and you know, many more times to come. You know it's doing these events that you know that we're at Micah to experience, um, an event that that we, that we didn't host, but we usually like to do. The event is the empire States outdoorsman, whatever the hell it's called, and you, the empire states outdoorsman, whatever the hell it's called, and you know the guys were up there so we went to go see them and everything like that. And you know we're sitting behind. We we recorded a pursuit live and everything like that. But it's it's fun like it's a lot of camaraderie. It's like you get to sit there and bullshit and everything like that. And yeah, you get to. You talk to hunters about you know you know about boondocks hunting or back damn production or urban, or you know pursuit or you know only bows and everything like that, where you're just talking to people who are just like you and just kind of basically share the same mindset as you and you. You know we had some drinks. You know we were telling stories. The only thing that we couldn't do was smoke a cigar. But if we could have best believe, we would have been smoking cigars there. Like it's just uh, anytime you do it with the crew and with friends and everything like that, it's just an absolute blast. That was a lot, um. But yeah, no, on the bear topic, like three bears between three friends within an hour hour and a half, two hours from each other, and I'm probably stretching it with the two hours. You know it's something I've never really heard of. You hear it with deer but not with bear. You know, and you know a put a hurting on the bears this year. That's, that's for damn sure Um, but was still wasn't even enough, which we still have. Even we didn't never hit our goal, like state did not hit its goal. So the good thing is, hopefully bear will be back next year. We'll be back at it again, all over again, but fun stuff, but fun stuff.
Speaker 3:So, mike, you look back and from the first episode we recorded in the summer to now. How are we feeling? You know what? What was your favorite now memory at this point? Multiple deer, big bucks, a whole bunch of uh. Doe shot you two bears, one was a triple with your friends. Like how do you, how do you even have a favorite moment? Like I don't think you really there's just too much. I mean, it was, it's the season that you want. I don't even think you could dream of this type of season too. Like you, this was probably not in your expectations.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, I mean, like I said, I was going through memory lane the other day just because it was one of the. It is, it's not one of. It is the best season I've experienced thus far, like from beginning to end, from the day I got my license back. I went out there, hung over his and I killed one. It was the, the adrenaline going. I felt like I had to throw up. I felt my laptop was dying. I'm honestly shocked that I didn't throw up this year. Mike, through everything I've been through, there was two times the waterworks came through. It was very emotional.
Speaker 4:I have a video of me talking, not to myself, but like I was sending a video to rupa and james, of me literally standing there crying, bawling my eyes out, just like thanking my grandmother for the season that I've had, because I I feel like it was all her doing. Like I mentioned Mike the uh in the episode when we talked about my archery bear, uh, my grandmother, she calls me by blue. That's like blue is my color and, um, this year the tags on the bear's air were blue and I got two bears. Like it's just, uh, I don't know, man, it gives me chills to know my parents were at her grave. So I, the day that I killed my bear and my mom was like telling me that she told her mother like you know, send him the bear that he wants, send him. There, I got the. I got two bears. Like this is it's great. Uh, I just uh. This this season was more emotional than anything else, but I loved every second of it and I wish I could do it again. Like I said earlier, I wish I could do it again.
Speaker 4:But one thing even though I recorded a lot, I wish I recorded more. Like there was the deer that I shot the second to last deer that I shot with the muzzleloader. There was the deer that I shot, the second to last deer that I shot with the muzzleloader. If I had video of that deer, it was just amazing. Everything was just textbook. I had one shooting lane from this tree. This deer came out, walked completely broadside of me, I shot it, I blew a tart out. It ran maybe 20 yards, leaped into the air and just like, fell between a fallen tree. And I posted on my story of the difficulties I went through to get that deer out of the thicket, out of all places I mean, we have hundreds of acres of open fields it ran into the thicket and jumped over into the fallen tree, so it's not like it ran through the tree. There was nowhere to run through. I had to get the machete and chop my way into the damn place and, oh my God, that was great.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but that's all about being in the back. Damn productions. You got to get the machete out.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I was trying to pull the lazy one and call James, but James was hard.
Speaker 3:I don't blame you on that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was in some thick stuff, man. I came out the woods I had stuff in my beard. My hands were torn up. You know it was bad, but I loved every second of it. And yeah, I just it's. It's got me speechless at this point, Like what a great.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, it's. It's such a Because I wish we could. Now that the season's over, it's like it went by so quickly, even though there's a part where.
Speaker 3:I thought it was dragging on and I was like, oh my god. And I was like we got more time, we got more time, we got more time. But now it's like what the hell? Like I don't know what to. I literally don't know what to do myself. Like, thank god, I could go out today and go coyote hunting, but it's like I'm still learning with coyote hunting, so it's still not the same. Like with deer hunting, you're just in bear hunting and stuff like waterfowl, like whatever we're main doing. Like you're just so invested and it's so much fun, even though sometimes it's not fun at the moment. Um, you know, but you, you miss it and we're only what a couple couple weeks in, with season being done, and it's like I miss it a lot like how do we wait until September?
Speaker 3:I was out in the woods and I was like, yeah, I saw a lot of coyotes sign and fox sign, but my mind was like, huh, this seems like a nice trail. Oh wait, there's a rob right there. Okay, let me put this in the Onyx map. It's like all right, if I hunted this side, I think it might be Like my mind just automatically, no matter what I'm doing, it just automatically goes a deer season. I was like I wish I could deer hunt right now, like it would be perfect.
Speaker 3:But you know what? We got to take the off season. There's a lot of things to do in the off season to entertain us or to occupy our time. Fishing is going to be one of them. Entertain us or to occupy our time, Fishing is going to be one of them.
Speaker 3:You know, doing events like this, working on the business aspect of it now, with backdam productions being a LLC and everything like that, and the success that you've had in the first year, I mean I imagine there's a lot of big things to come and you just got to keep hammering and stuff like that. So you know that. So you know mike, as the now the head of the ceo, the the big man of back damn productions. You know what are some of the responsibility that. Do you feel more responsibility? You know heading this because you know when you had jersey jersey, when you guys were a part of jersey harvested and everything like that, it was just a little different because you guys kind of and I know you guys share this too but like that you were the guy that everyone knew from Jersey Harvested but you weren't the main, you weren't like the main guy if you want to call.
Speaker 3:but now you are, this is a big part of your thing, Like you created this, everything like that. You got a great team behind you. Do you feel the heat, the pressure, the extra responsibility, anything like that? Or you know, like you told me, that you're just going with the flow.
Speaker 4:It's a little bit of both. Like you said it, you said it best right there. I have a great team behind me and I, every time I kill a dare, I hit them up and I'm like, oh, thank you guys, because, honestly, if it wasn't for them, the help that I got this year whether it's setting up a blind, carrying corn, changing batteries all of our schedules are different. So if I can't make it, james could make it. If James can't make it, rupa makes it. You know, kevin gets to cover some ground.
Speaker 4:Everybody did their thing this year and I feel like I reaped all the benefits and I sit there and I I even say to myself, like you know, I want them to be successful too. I mean, Rupa shot up there his first. There Rupa got two. Does this season? Frickin hard shot? You know the kid, you know he had. He had a pretty good season. But you know, I wish Kevin was able to get on them. It's just to each his own. Everybody's got their own schedule to get on them. It's just to each his own, everybody's got their own schedule. Some people, like myself, you know, kind of borderline.
Speaker 3:The pto time this year had almost some people aren't as psychotic as us and take all the time that in the world to hunt and move everything in our schedule specifically for this time of the year. So so like yeah, not not everyone's like that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, granted, you know Kevin's married, so he has to be a husband and, you know, do his husband duty. So I I just wish that you know he got a chance to reap some of the benefits too. I mean his freezer's full to me and James. We all share. But, like you said, mike, it's the team that you have behind you. I feel no pressure but I feel responsible. You get what I'm saying.
Speaker 4:Like I have to know, OK, if I'm counting on Rupa or if I'm counting on Kevin, that I can count on them. If I can't count on them, I tell them plain and straight. If it's something that I'm asking you to do or help me with something and you can't do it or you can't make it, let me know. Don't don't screw me over and be like, yeah, I got you and then you don't do it or you're not there for me or anything like that. But yeah, back there in productions, man.
Speaker 4:For those of you who don't know, people are probably like what the hell is back? Damn, and why is there weed leaves on on the logo? It's not weed leaves. Uh, actually, as a typical guyanese west indian, the first thing they do with anything that they catch or or kill, they're gonna curry it. You curry everything in our tradition. We've had curry turtle. You know what's? One thing we haven't had which I have to try is curry bear bear curry. I haven't done that one, but I've done everything else. Man Curried it when we built the logo. This was between me and Kevin. When we built the logo I was like bro, we have to curry it. We curry everything. The leaves in our logo are actually curry leaves. For those of you who didn't know, that's the leaves and they curry a. So for those of you who didn't know.
Speaker 2:That's that's yeah, and they, yeah, they. I was one of them, so makes sense, man yeah, he, he asked me.
Speaker 3:He's like oh, you know, has anyone said anything about your shirt that it's weed? And you know I work with kids in a psych hospital and surprisingly, no one said anything. You know, uh, but I was like no, no, not yet I mean it's gonna be not surprised it will.
Speaker 4:I've had the uh the decal on the back of my truck and people see it work, parked up at work and they're like this is what you do now and I'm like, what are you talking about? Like the job doesn't pay you enough. I'm like, bro, that's not, that's not what it is. Dude like relax plus.
Speaker 3:Also, if you did it, it is technically legal. Maybe you started a LLC for selling medical marijuana.
Speaker 4:I'm not trying to get into that field with a CDL in my pocket, nope. But the word backdam if you Google the word backdam, it's the Guyanese term for undeveloped land, and my whole goal of starting the page and starting this is to just show the public what we can produce from the quote unquote, undeveloped land, the back down. So when we're out in the woods, that's the back down, we're in the back there. I mean, we're here to show the public, show anybody, what we could produce from the woods, just like everybody else. You know, mike, you you get a lot of people involved. You built yourself a great platform here with Boondock, something I give you a lot of props for that. You do some great stuff. Frank, I got to get to know you a little bit more. I don't know much about you, but we are, um, we're.
Speaker 3:So payton just hit 1000 followers, which I'm very happy for. Frank is closing in on the 1k mile milestone, um, and then steve as well is a little bit behind Frank. But I told the guys you know it's all about the team, it's not all about one, and you know that's something that I preach a lot of time when, when I'm asking people to join boondocks hunting is not all about boondocks hunting. You know, I don't want this to just be hey, you know what, let's just grow boondocks hunting. No, it's about growing everyone on the team and helping everyone as best and even if you're not on the team, it's about supporting each other and everything like that and other brands and stuff like that. And you know it's something that we do, all of us do very well, you know. But I told the guys I was like, listen, my goal by the time next hunting season start is to have all three of their pages at 1000 as well, um, so, uh, next is is frank and then next after that will be steve, um, you know, and get theirs at at the 1000. And then, you know, hopefully, boondocks hunting is closing on that uh, 4000 mark, um, you know, and it's, it's great, you know, and we got a lot of things coming. We we actually just released today that we just signed Peyton to be our sponsorship director. So Peyton is going to be heading up all our sponsorships and everything like that from here on out. And then actually, I just signed Bianca too, my fiance. She is actually our director of operations. So what? That the reason why I had to kind of do it in this way, because if I, if it wasn't official and she wasn't on a signed contract, then it wasn't like she's actually now going to like now she kind of has no excuse Right there.
Speaker 3:It is written in the contract like she has to take this like seriously, you know, and she already does a lot of events for us. Like she's like oh no, we need, you need to do this, you need to do this, you need, do you have this, do you have that? Like I suck at that stuff, like I couldn't. You know, mike was at my birthday and like that was, of course, that was none of that was me like. Like she, she got set all that up the food, you know, obviously her and my mom, but like most of that are was all her ideas and like her doing this. So, like same thing with one of the events that we did in the summer, that that I met you with Frank, like she had some of those ideas like um, you know. So she's going to be heading up to like her thing is the game dinner that will be coming on April 6th I was like, hey, you need to figure out what we need, things like that. Yada, yada, yada. You're going to set that up in every event from now on and anything that we're going to be doing that's your job title. She actually got her own official email for a Boondocks hunting email. All the guys get their own email when they join up and everything like that and Microsoft account. So it's official. We went, we're going really big and really, actually, you know the website's coming next.
Speaker 3:I know, with Mike and everything, when I started the podcast, I love how social media and how close we all have gotten the last couple of years. I wish that we had this a couple years sooner, because doing all this by yourself and yada, yada, it's intimidating but intimidating. But now we have the back to end productions crew, we have the urban crew, we have the only boats we have. You know, I was able to meet frank steve payton, you know now, now, you know, with squash, you know, and and everything like that, like there's so many people out there not you know that we're, that we're meeting and it's just growing more and more and more and, like you know, I'm really happy where it's definitely hit in the last two years, for for everyone, you know, everyone's so connected and you know, as much as we don't like instagram, that much you know, and I'm gonna be honest, instagram makes me nervous.
Speaker 3:Um, you know it's. We wouldn't be here without it. Um, so it's there. There is a give and a take, so, um, is is there. Is there anything else that that we need to hit on mike? I mean, yet again, a hell of a hell of a season. I mean absolutely insane. Is there anything that we're missing from the season, anything that, um, from the early part of the season, anything like that that you haven't told on the, on the last couple couple of episodes?
Speaker 4:I don't know, I'm more. You know I work better with questions. If you ask me a question, I'll answer.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah well, I I really can't think of anything else. I mean what it's, I feel like, because we had you on often during during the season or anything like that too, because there was so much going on that we actually got to cover a lot of you. The early season, you know how it felt just being back, you know, you know your 10 pointer, your first bear, you know, and now we got simpy and the triple bear kill, you know, and you got some squirrels and everything like that. So, um, yeah, I think, from the season standpoint, I mean I think we're covered with.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think, moving forward. Like we have a recently new member. A lot of people don't really know him I mean the people who are listening probably don't know him, but my circle knows him very well. His name's Chad. He's one of Kevin's cousins. He went out on a sit three times this season, all three times without me. The one time I put him in my stand and he shot a deer and they tracked that deer forever and ever and they just they couldn't find the deer. The deer ended up crossing onto private property. They contacted well, they tried to ring the doorbell. Nobody was answering. I was like that there's probably still got to be alive for it to go that far.
Speaker 4:But my goal for the next season is now like, okay, I've had, I've had the yeah, the highlight of my hunting career this past season. I just want to bestow that onto others. So now I feel like I'm not going to shoot a deer next season until I get Chad on a deer first, like I'm going to owe that to him, like I'm going to be on his ass. Like take your time off, let's go. I you need to kill a deer before I kill a deer, so hurry up and let's get it done, but, um, definitely want to.
Speaker 4:I want to get my team. Like you said, man. I told them at the first meeting we had we're all the same. I don't want anyone to feel that I'm different or I'm I'm the owner or CEO. No, we're all a team, we're all equals in this. I said I'm in it to win it, and so should you guys be like that's, that's how it is, that's the mentality that I got with this. I don't want to be the one to be like oh, mike's the one that kills everything, or James is the one that kills everything. Just because our schedules allow us to get out more, it doesn't mean that I'm trying to like fuck them over in a sense.
Speaker 3:No, I'm trying to get them out there, but their schedule is just uh. I hope they listen to this shit Within time. Due time. Due time.
Speaker 3:Um you know you got to remember they're also on the newer side of of hunting too. Um, you know, and it's I got the same thing with with Bobby, and you know, trying to get Bobby out there as much as he can. Like he's got two kids and every time we tried getting him out he was sick, because you know he has kids. So whenever they get sick, he was getting sick, you know, and work and everything like that. And you know, I think we talked about early in the season. But you know, like with Kevin, it's like, you know, for his wife she didn't grow up and she hasn't known about this lifestyle. She married him before all the hunting and everything like that. Right, yeah, it's new to the both of them. Yeah, so it's new to the both of them. So it's so much different.
Speaker 3:And, frank, you can touch on this too. Like I am with Bianca, like this is six years, and the minute we first started dating I told her I was like, listen, this is, this is my thing here. Like it's not changing, like it's not going away, like I will dedicate my time to you on the off season, like, and I'll be there as much, but during hunting season, she knows, like, all right like hey, I know you're not going to be around. Sometimes, of course, she doesn't like it, but it's like hey, this is, this is what he's got to do. And now, like with boondocks hunting it's it's just increased like tenfold. Now it's really like she's like all right, like I know this is an excuse Like this is you have to get up there and go out and do stuff like you like there. There is no excuse not to you know, unless like some dramatic situation, you know. So I think it's so much easier when it's been established beforehand than when it's like hey you know what this is new?
Speaker 3:I'm gonna go out and I'm gonna go hunt with mike and and stuff like that, and you know it's like what? Like, uh, you're not taking this date off. You can maybe have this one day but, all these rest of the days that they're going out, yeah no, I don't think so.
Speaker 4:Yeah and that's um. You know, like I don't mean to air nobody's shit out on in public, but you know Kevin's wife's like a sister-in-law to me, love her to death. But the one thing I don't like is that her birthday is on opening day.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh yeah, we're talking about. We're talking about in the chat.
Speaker 4:Kevin. For them they celebrate the whole month. So Kevin's gone for the whole month of September so he misses out on like the easiest part of the season in my opinion is that first, two, three weeks of the deer season the deer don't have any pressure. You know you can go out there like I went four o'clock in the afternoon, hung over and shoot a deer. You know effort into it when it's the early season and he misses out on that.
Speaker 3:Bianca's birthday is. You know, same thing, september, right? I told Bianca because she used to be the same thing like, oh, you know, it's my birthday month. It's my birthday month. Like, okay, cool, like it could be your birthday month and you can do stuff. But I am not going out to do stuff. Like you get your. I told her, I go, you get your, your day. Like I will sacrifice the whole day of your birthday, of course, obviously, and it's kind of worked out where she's not a morning person anyway, so she likes to sleep in, especially on her birthday. So it's like like it's all good if I sneak out and I go hunt all throughout the morning and everything like that. She goes, you're just going to be available for for at night.
Speaker 4:I was like, all right, cool no problem, I'll do a morning hunt. I won't have evening.
Speaker 3:It's like okay, hey, you know we got a family dinner for my birthday, like, okay, cool, you know what I'm gonna hunt in the morning and then I'll go out. Or you know vice versa, if we're doing brunch or something like that, you know what, maybe I'll go, but no more of that month thing. That that's not. That's why I'm okay with getting married sometime during the hunting season, because it's like, as long as it's not the rut, we're, I told her we're good as long as it's not the rut and I'm talking about rut, we're talking about even the pre-rut too, like that that first week of October is the only weekend she's going to get. If it goes that far, like I'm hoping it's it's end of September now.
Speaker 3:But these are already pre-established things that you know. Basically, growing up in it or having your relationship be about it's different than you know, man, it's. It's tough and I and I understand him and I understand her and you know, hopefully he can definitely get out more and everything like that. And you know, the more he does it and gets into it, I imagine, like you know, there will be some leeway and stuff like that. But you know, yeah, he's married. You know, and right, that that's not the option right now.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean I mean like you would good. Uh, like, each person has their own, their own drive within them. Like, if I could, I would hunt every day. I live, I live and work pretty far from my closest hunting spot is probably like an hour and 10 minutes for me. But for example, mike, you know Rupa's got four days off a week, four fricking days off a week. You know how many deer he could have killed, you know how many times he could have been out there. But no, like each person's different and I can't. I can't like lash him and beat him and be like yo, you need to go out there and trick him. No, but it's to each his own. You get what I'm saying. If you want a successful year, you get out there.
Speaker 2:If not, stay home dead like Rupa yeah, yep, 100%, yeah, no, yeah, because it was even like with me, like my wife, she going back to that, like she didn't grow up. You know the way I did. She wasn't. You know, she was always like a city girl type of thing, you know. But, um, I established the same thing as soon as I, as soon as I met her, I was like look, I'm a hunter, this is what I do. You know, I'm not going to change. You know, she was like. She was like she was taken back at first. She didn't know how to think. I was like maybe that came off a little too strong, you know, just a little bit.
Speaker 3:I said the same thing, don't worry. I was like I'm not changing, she's like. I was like okay, maybe a little, but like.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she's like alright, as long as you take me to the beach in the summers. I was like, alright, alright, as long as you take me to the beach in the summers. I was like all right, all right, yeah, that's doable. And then all of a sudden I started going to our farm upstate a lot and now I'm doing food plots in the summer. She's like, hey, what the hell. Like I thought you said the summers were mine. Now, all of a sudden it's like now it's, you know, all year long and I was like, yeah, well, if you, if you help, I'll buy you something really nice. She was like it better be really nice really really nice.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, it's like I, you know, with Bianca, we we do specific things during. She knows like, now it's basically the off season, so it is the off season. So she's like all right, now you're, you're back to being mine, I don't have to share you with hunting anymore. Um, and you know it's, we have a balance that we have to figure out and every relationship is going to be different, you know. But once you find the balance, you know it, it works really smoothly.
Speaker 3:And listen, okay, you want to go out to dinner today, no problem. Oh wait, we're. We got a trip plan for the off season. Okay, yeah, no problem. You know what? That's fine. You know I could nothing. Yeah, man, will I be thinking about? Oh man, I got all the work I need to do. I need to, you know, get this ready and these truck cameras gonna get here, gotta get this up and yada, yada. But it's like all right, don't worry. I gotta remind myself I have all hunting season where it's like I don't really have to do any of that. She gets her birthday and then she gets the holidays, which I thought it was like okay, that's fair, like holidays, no problem. Besides that, I'm open to hunt whenever I you know I want. I will give Bianca the credit. She is amazing when it comes to that, because you know she lets me go out and I go, and then when I get home I'm usually like this is knocked out, just sleeping snoring just not doing nothing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, nothing, she's like. You wake up. I'm awake, eyes barely open, just like right back to sleep, like I got to wake up at like three o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean not just relationships. Uh, you know, like my mom, my mom likes to tell me that I have seasonal friends because they're six months out of the year, you know, there's there's a lot of Mike nitrate, james, there's all my hunting buddies, and then during the summer months it's have a jeep event to go to, I have a barbecue to go to with such and such, and she so my mom, likes to say that I have seasonal friends because, you know, I have summertime friends, I have wintertime friends and the thing, man.
Speaker 4:yeah, it is, it is, it is and even like, like you know, being part part of the Jeep crew. They all understand and love the fact that I hunt, because when we do get together, you bet their ass they are eating bear, deer, squirrel, and that's one thing I love about them. They all like to try something new, so they support me. They're like. They hit me up to check in hey, how's your season going? You got anything? I love the support. And up to check in hey, how's your season going? You got anything? I love the support. And they just want to know when they're getting the next meal, you get what.
Speaker 3:I will. I will say, mike, you get. You got one of the best support groups you know behind you. I mean, just when I, we do the, the now annual, yearly um thing for the, for the podcast, the votes for the podcast, I mean the, it was strong and you know you, you gotta love to see that and it's you gotta have that, that support behind you. If you don't have that support, it definitely does make it a lot harder. And it's great to see um, that support because you know what means. A lot of people care about you and you know you're you're doing a real great thing and whether it's the, you know the hunting or it is the jeeps and you know, I know how much you love your jeep and everything like that and the jeep crew and it's. It's funny because you do, you really don't. And then you know fishing. So you really don't have an off season. You, you're just going all the time. The only time you're really you're off season is when it snows yeah that's my off season.
Speaker 4:It's snow season. Yeah, like now that it's warming up, boom I'm I'm going to start working on that truck. I want that truck complete before trout season, so that way I could possibly do some like camping out there and try to get you know, explore a little bit more. Cause. Jersey is a beautiful place Once you get past Patterson.
Speaker 3:Yeah, once, yeah, once you get past there, you know, but, Micah, any, any last words, I mean I know you'll be on, you know, another time. You know it was great doing the round table segment with you. It was great, you know, doing this and getting the final, your final of of your incredible season, um anything else well, that that's about it.
Speaker 4:Before we sign off, just want to thank you personally for having me on here again. And, mike, you know we we went from the first time you had hit me up to be on a podcast and now we're like fucking best pals have a beer together. It's great, it's crazy. Yeah, we go. We go to each other's birthday shotgun beers together, and it's great, it's a great.
Speaker 4:You know like this hunting community builds really great friendships it does that's what I'm just trying to keep on doing, like I, I kevin hit me up because of hunting, you know, I'm saying and kevin's like a brother to me now and people say we all look the same anyway but exactly, exactly that that's and we want that.
Speaker 3:We want people to don't feel any type of way like we're not going to ignore you or anything like that. We're all very open with with answering and talking and communicating and inviting people around and stuff like that. Like I said, as long as you're not, you know, whatever we'll have you around. You can join the Freezer Village, you can come hang out with us, you can come on the podcast. If you need any trips or tricks or any type of details to help you get better, listen, we're there to help you the best that we can. There's also a lot of things that we're still learning too and trying to get better at as well. So, like, if we can help the next person because we, I could tell you, I know what it was like to struggle and go at this by myself. You know when it's. It's so much easier when you have the support and have the people, like I said, behind you that are going to help you and you can. Hey, you know what? Like today, I sent in a picture of like I couldn't tell if it was turkey feathers or a hawk, because it looked. It did look like a hawk, but I wasn't 100%, I wasn't 100% sure and I just got that, hey, you know what, what does this look like? And they all said, you said you know it looks like turkey, but they're also not 100 sure, but they're, if they're gonna bet, I mean, um, hawk. They thought it was a hawk but like you never know, because I know their one feather does kind of look right, close, similar or something like that. Yeah, it's pretty similar, yeah, um, so me, me and turkey's.
Speaker 3:Like there's so much for me to still learn with turkeys, and same with coyotes and foxes and same with deer, like there's just so much, so much to learn. You know, mike and I we want to get into trapping and we we found a at at the show, this, this cool thing. We're trapping where the guy's going to be teaching the course, like that's, that's so cool and unique and you know he runs the. You know the trapping course here, the foundation or whatever it is in New Jersey, and I might have found my next vest that I'm wearing for for my wedding. I told Bianca she doesn't seem too thrilled about it, but it's a beaver, it's a beaver vest and it was so soft and like, looked amazing and I'm working on that. Well, hopefully we can get that done, because you know that thing was kick ass. I loved it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, mike, like I told you, when we first stumbled upon that little booth there with all the furs and everything, I told you I was like yo, James is going to love this tomorrow. Because James came up the following day, bro, we circled the spot maybe four times and spent a total of two hours at that one booth. We kept just navigating back to that one booth and we kept talking to the guy getting more information. That's how we ended up buying the goddamn bear. So the guy that's teaching the course, he sells furs and he does his own stitching and sewing and whatnot, he's the one that made that vest that Mike's talking about. It's a beautiful vest. I don't know how much a 3XL is going to cost, but, sheesh, it's made out of beaver and he's got buttons on the vest. That's made out of deer antlers. It's beautiful. It's lined with like a nice, like a fiber cloth material. It's got design on the inside Beautiful, beautiful vest.
Speaker 4:So the same guy has a stuffed teddy bear, a black stuffed teddy bear. I'm gonna get mike to send, I'm gonna get james to send a picture so when you're talking about it you can put it up. But it's a black stuffed teddy bear, completely made out of real bear, like the bear's fur. Everything is made out of a bear. It's. It's great. It blew my mind.
Speaker 3:I was like so cool, so cool, and they had, um, they had the mitts. They had mittens that were. They had bear, they had, I think, beaver, they had like coyote, like the things that they were doing, and it's like I hope this gets trapping back to where it needs like, and there needs to be more hunters that talk about. There needs to be more people that talk about it. But it is so cool to see everything that they create and it's like I get it. I know how our world works and you got to wear gucci and you got to do this and you got to wear. But it's like man, I hope the fur trade can get back to what it was, because, man, look at all these cool things that they're creating.
Speaker 3:That vest hands down one of the coolest things, that teddy bear. It was softer than any teddy bear that you can buy at a store. Like the material, everything that they had there was softer than almost anything I've ever felt at a store. That's going to cost you an arm and a goddamn leg. Right, it was so cool the hats, everything like that. It was really cool.
Speaker 4:I listen, I would love granted those, those furs are going to cost you an arm and a leg oh, yeah, well yeah, it's good.
Speaker 3:Yes, it's, it's gonna cost a lot but, like he said, it's gonna cost more, a lot just because of the labor. You know right, it's why, you know, nike costs us so much. It doesn't cost much to make. They just selling it because of the name. It costs that much just for the name. Like, I'd much rather give it to that guy who's creating it for me. It's actually putting a lot of work for something that we either him or or we harvested ourselves. You know, I mean, and you tan the hide, you do all these cool things and you're creating. It's like you're creating art. You know, I'm not. I'd much rather give it to that than give it to some fucking rich prick who, you know, doesn't care about us. You know what I mean. It's whatever. So it's, it's two different things. But I do agree, like, but six hundred dollars for that vest, that's for for me, yeah, for mike. I don't know what it's going to cost for Mike. He said probably about $600.
Speaker 4:I'm going to need another stimulus check.
Speaker 3:But he said he wears it when he hunts too. So it must be warm. I'd put that thing right underneath my sickle layer and I'd be warmer than anything. My whole base layer is going to be be than anything. I'd just my whole. My whole base layer is going to be beaver. I'm just going to create my own whole base base like hey, hey, you know that might be a great idea, fuck the wall, let's do beaver and raccoon and everything like that yeah, he also had the what.
Speaker 4:What was it like, like socks or stockings or something like that?
Speaker 3:yeah, something, something like the uh, everything, they had everything, everything that that you could possibly, they had so much of it and it's it was incredible to to actually see. You know. It definitely makes me want to get into the trapping game so much more now, because you know it's just so cool with the things that they can make. Or you know, if you learn it, that what you can make and you know it's you're just self-sufficient. I'm ready to. Once I learn all that, we're ready.
Speaker 3:Let's go buy a huge pot of land and just move away from everyone. There we go. We're all gonna live in our own little town. No one, no one, can come into our town. That's unauthorized. We're just gonna hunt and fish and farm all day and there you go, be happy. That's unauthorized. We're just going to hunt and fish and farm all day and there you go, be happy. That's living the dream, right there, right, no more of this lit, the city lifestyle and who's going to be the president and what's going on. That's, that's simple stuff. We're we're not going to care about that. We're just going to live off the land. And if there's another pandemic, it's not going to affect us because we all, we all just living off the land, chilling in the middle of nowhere. But alright, guys, I think that's going to wrap it up for today. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode and we'll see you guys next time.