American Roots Outdoors w/ Alex Rutledge
Join Alex Rutledge along with Co-Host Wayne Lach & Mike "Redbone" Crase as we cover a variety of topics from Deer Hunting, Turkey Hunting, Fishing and today's top headlines...... all while Sharing our Faith! We will also have Special Guest appearances from some of the Hunting Industry's biggest names and Country Music Stars you all love!
American Roots Outdoors w/ Alex Rutledge
2022 Peak Rut Update & Stratagies
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Alex, Mike and Wayne discuss the current Peak Rut in most areas and shae some strategies to outsmarting that Wiley Buck. From rethinking stand and blind placement to placement of your WiseEye Cams plus using Huntcontrol to help dictate your time in the stand these can all increase your success rate on those hard to kill Hit List Bucks!
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Yeah, and and speaking of that, I was at Walmart um I think it was Wednesday or Tuesday or Wednesday last week. I'm sorry. And yeah, it's okay. We we all had to get milk somewhere. But uh I was in line talking to somebody and uh you know they asked me about those cameras. You know, they brought up the wise eye, hey, we listen to you, you know, tell me more about this and how you place them. And one of the things that I told him, I said, like what I like to do, and he said I said it sounds like overkill, but it's not. I've got three cameras set up within probably a 60-yard area. I got one on the field, one uh about 10 yards in the woods on a deer path that I got, and then I got another one that is in a real thick brush area that is like more of an escape route. So if a butt just crossed along the woods, yeah, my deer.
SPEAKER_09Go in my home. Welcome on the early dawn to climb up.
SPEAKER_07Hey, Red Bell, do you hear about that new deer fruit? What new deer feet?
SPEAKER_01Hey, Buggritz, boys, you ain't heard of that yet? Buggritz! Buggrits.com.
SPEAKER_07But tell us about it. What makes them better than any other deer fruit?
SPEAKER_01Well, bug grits has got the protein of deer needs, it's got the fat of deer needs, it's got the amino acids, it's got the energy, it's got it all, brother. Gonna bring them back after the rep, it's gonna put a rack on their head.
SPEAKER_07It's gonna help the black tight dog too. Well, if they have the phones.
SPEAKER_01That's right, keep the ponds going and get them for the next crop.
SPEAKER_07Well, where can I get bug grits?
SPEAKER_01Bug grits.com. You can get a sample, you can order it directly from the website, or coming to a retailer near you.
SPEAKER_07If you want to help a dear heart, use bug grits.
SPEAKER_09We can take it to a holler. Take it to a fruit. A crowd's a curve of a big old hill. Yeah, after year, come on here. And my old pair of Hunter boots, passed on down, planted deep in the ground.
SPEAKER_08Wise presents. Welcome to American Reach Outdoors, Alex Rutledge, Redbone, Mike Crace, Wayne Block. Well, they're in the studio, and I'm sitting back here in a recliner in my cabin.
SPEAKER_02I need to get a recliner in the studio. Man, that'd be that'd be pretty cool.
SPEAKER_03I need to get a recliner in my blind.
SPEAKER_02All right, so yeah, peak rat, boy, the peak rut is going on too, isn't it, Alex? These these these bucks are getting kind of locked down.
SPEAKER_08They are. You know, you know, Wayne, uh, Redbone. I told Wayne this, I said, and I said on the show, I think these deer are actually two weeks ahead from what they was last year. And, you know, a lot of people's not seeing the bigger, mature bucks, but there's some nice bucks that that uh people have taken so far here in the Midwest and Southern Missouri going to Arkansas. But we offered two bucks in three days. And actually a total of about the total hours each person has about 15 hours. And we got the reasons why we were successful in taking these boxes. Number one, I mean the free body, the three cool part, number two, uh, number three, I mean the point, uh, according to live eye, tell us. And the cameras were telling us what time we moved the bee in our location uh to close the deal on two mature bucks. And uh congratulations to Riel Sheridan, 22 years old from Hammond, Louisiana, and her bad duck Sheridan. This is the second year they come and hunt with us. Doc brings uh a different child or someone new every year. This is going on their second year and uh 100% success in shooting mature bots.
SPEAKER_02Wow, that's that's really good. Congratulations on that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, they uh the the picture that he had posted on the uh Facebook page with both the deer hanging and and uh them standing next to their deer, the smiles on their face, I mean, that told the story right there. I think even the when she got her deer the first day, uh you know, she first harvest, um the smile that he had with her in the picture, he could have not harvested a deer, and I guaranteed he would have said this was a a great successful weekend.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but isn't that the way it is with everybody? I mean, uh uh Alex, and and you take a lot of people deer hunting and turkey hunting and stuff like that. Uh there's there's almost you know, and early in in my hunting days, I wouldn't have said so, but now I would rather go and teach somebody else and put somebody else on a deer and them harvest the deer than I would for myself. Two reasons. Number one, because that makes me happy. Makes me happy for them. And number two, because then I don't have to mess with it.
SPEAKER_03Right, they get to drag it out.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, we we I must say, I you know, I gotta agree with you, Wayne, Redbone, the smile on their faces, and uh actually being there with them and I filmed the huts and sat right with them whenever they shot both of her bucks. I must say when his daughter shot that buck, and it's a widespread 19 inches wide, eight corner, four and a half years old, had wise eye pictures of that deer from the time he was in velvet up until the day uh she harded him. But the minute she shot that deer, the deer bumps and kicks out and runs off. And she goes, I think I missed him. I said, No, honey. I said, You you smoked him. I said, You hit him right behind the shoulder and he kicked out, and I said, Well, he ran off. I said, That's what they do sometimes. And Duck was saying, No, honey, you smoked him, you smoked him. And uh he uh he was ticking with death. He actually started tearing up.
SPEAKER_02Well sure. I mean, what dad hasn't done that when when when you know, I know with my youngest son, Adam, he wanted to hunt. And uh, you know, that first deer he killed, uh I was like a big crybaby. And he's like, What's wrong, dad?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, they don't understand, they just don't get it yet.
SPEAKER_02I'm so happy for you.
SPEAKER_08Um but he talked about, you know, uh Duck Sheridan. Uh we're gonna talk about his success and her success and the things that you know how it came about, uh, we touched on a little bit. But he talked about, I said, please tell our our viewers, people watching us, uh uh what this means to you. And he got really teared up. He goes, you know, I work from six in the morning to about three in the evening every day. And he said, when I I go pick my kids up from school and then I go back, he said, I run my trout lines for my fish commercial fishing business, and I I'm playing fish every night, seven days a week till midnight to one o'clock at night. I turn around and do the same thing every day. And he said, I work hard for my money so I can enjoy and share the outdoors and and do things like this for my family.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's fantastic. Yeah, I know where he was coming from too, because you know, when I was working on the squad, I did I did a lot of overtime so I could take and shift trades and that with other guys. So when Deer Season came around, I was able to take off Deer Season with the kids and take them out and spend the time with them and that. And you know, sometimes the kids don't understand. Well, you know, dad's always gone or mom's always gone, you know. They don't understand then, but it's funny how they understand later in life when all of a sudden they have kids and they come up to you one day and they're like, I get it now.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Oh, exactly. Yeah, exactly. All right, so Alex, we got uh, I mean, real quick before we wrap up this segment, we got football this weekend, and uh most people will be hearing the show on Saturday. What's playing Zissors, playing at home with Hannibal? And uh, you know, wish the for those of you that may hear this before it actually, I guess on the air. Good luck to the Zissors and your Mountain View Birch Street Liberty Eagles playing at Seneca Saturday afternoon, one o'clock.
SPEAKER_08Congratulations to both schools, both teams on uh getting as far as they have. And I'm just tickled to death of our local kids. And uh shout out to any other school that's our listening area, too, that may be uh playing the quarterfinals of the state championships. I think uh West Planes has got a good chance of winning as well as Liberty. We've been watching the Seneca tapes for some time now. We figured we'd be facing Seneca. They've got a powerful defense, a powerful offense. I think there are three key players that really stand out. Number five, uh the running back, the quarterback, and a receiver on offense. And uh they are gonna see pressure like they've never seen. I promise you. Yeah, and nobody's got a good chance going all the way, Red Bone Way.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I don't want to scare anybody, but Seneca did beat Lamar earlier in the season, so just kind of throwing that out there. Uh, but we do need to take a break right here, Alex. Uh American Roots Outdoors with Alex Rutledge and his friends. We'll be back with more in a moment.
SPEAKER_05Hey everybody, this is Michael White and with Bone Collector, and you're listening to my buddy Alex Rutledge on American Roots Outdoors, man. Don't miss an episode.
unknownI've been on a big boy for a while. I could load him in the back of my trunk with the bigger.
SPEAKER_07Redbone, what would you say if I could tell you that you could kill a buck on a certain day?
SPEAKER_02I would say you're crazy. There's no way to predict how the buck's gonna go.
SPEAKER_07Well, you're wrong. There's a new camera out called Wi-Fi Technology. These guys can predict the extra terms that you're gonna come through. Really? Wi-Fi technology. This camera has five camera. The moment we're direct on a camera.
SPEAKER_02How do I find out more fun?
SPEAKER_07Go to wisemartcam.com. I'm using you should too. Make your hunt easier. Use wise.
SPEAKER_09Come on, dear.
SPEAKER_08We're talking about peak rut hunting tactics. We talked about success already here in southern Missouri. With two of our friends that come here from Louisiana, R.L. Sheridan, and Duck Sheridan, talk about the roots and what hunting meant to him and what hunting meant to her. Just amazing to be able to sit back and and share that with somebody like a father and daughter. Like we did this past week. Our farm is really good in the way we manage our farm and the way that we eat them, and the way which we eat them using the wise eye cameras control and being smart about everything. The wind's not right. We don't go into an area where we think the people are coming from. No matter how clean or shift-free we are, and we let our wise eyes tell us what's the best time to get into that location. Would you agree, Redbone? One.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, absolutely. And people have listened to this show for a long time know uh the wind is the most important factor when you're trying to decide where to set up and how to get to where you want to go hunt. I mean, it's it's all about the wind.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I know like for the cameras, that aspect, like right now, I mean, my phone's been blown up for the last three hours with nothing but does in the field, but no bucks. And I've noticed that for the last few days that there's just does coming through, but the bucks just aren't falling. So I don't know if they toned down or they just ain't kicked up yet. The only thing I've been seeing is just young bucks uh chasing, but no mature bucks. So uh for me, I'm it's not wasn't quite the time for me to say, hey, I gotta be in the stand for 24 hours, you know, not 24 hour set, but you know, in eight-hour set. You know, uh just not there yet for but that's what I like about the cameras. They tell you what, like Alex said, you use the hump control, it tells you what is the peak time. It puts all that information together based on you know weather forecasts and stuff, and it's a great asset.
SPEAKER_08Something I want to point out to our listeners uh using trail cameras and hunt control, just because you're not capturing big bucks does not mean they're not there.
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_08Keep that in mind because those big bucks don't have to walk exactly where that dough walked them by that camera. That big buck can walk downwind, checking those does the camera, checking those does. That's what we come to realize. Now we have pictures of both bucks that we used in this week and got here. But what we went by is how many does it come into the weekend? And here at 450. Other than going in the way we walk in or the way we catch cameras. Uh we never have to go visit our camera. We can actually monitor them from our phone or iPad or home computer. And when we drive in there, we try to drive in the same time if we got to do something, and we try to keep them programmed for not a nuisance or bother to the deer, Redbone Wayne.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I I would agree with all of that. And and back to your point, Alex, about maybe you know, the bucks aren't walking in front of the camera. Well, how many times have we been out back in the old days when we glass deer and and the does are in the field or the does walking along the edge of the field, and you look really close, and there's a buck over there 10 yards into the woods, following right along. So if she's passing in front of the tree in front of the camera, he's walking behind the tree, behind the camera. So, yeah, of course you don't see him. And and yeah, chances are that he's there. You just don't see him on camera.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and speaking of that, I was at Walmart um, I think it was Wednesday or Tuesday or Wednesday last week. I'm sorry. And yeah, it's okay. We we all had to get milk somewhere. But uh I was in line talking to somebody, and uh, you know, they asked me about those cameras. You know, they brought up the wise eye, they hey, we listen to you, you know, tell me more about this, and how you place them. And one of the things that I told him, I said, like what I like to do, and he said I said it sounds like overkill, but it's not. I've got three cameras set up within probably a 60-yard area. I got one on the field, one uh about 10 yards in the woods on a deer path that I got, and then I got another one that is in a real thick brush area that is like more of an escape route. So if a buck is just cruising along the edge, yeah, my deer, uh the camera's picking up all the deer in the the uh field, you know, the does and that. But if there's one that's cruising along the edge in the uh right in the wood line, my second camera's gonna pick it up. He's like, well, isn't that kind of overkill having so many cameras in one spot? I said, not if you're trying to catch, you know, that buck that's trying to stay, you know, out of sight from everybody, because those bucks aren't, I mean, that's why they get big. They're smart. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08Well, that's a great strategy, and each and everybody to their own strategy. Uh what my strategy is with the wise eye cameras is to place them in high traffic areas, whether it's a mineral site, a watering hole, a food plot, uh, a heavily travel trail. That's where all my cameras are. Most of my cameras right now are set up overlooking the straight four feet. And one of the straight hunting actually, take care, and these bigger mature bucks are locked down with does and even timber. They're staying in the timber. And I think what we're thinking to see as the season progresses, we're gonna see more bigger bucks being killed. Because I'm still seeing does with yearlings, Red Bone, and I'm sure you guys are too. Elaborate on that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, same here. Like I said, I mean I got a picture I just pulled up a few minutes ago of uh I got seven deer, seven does in my field right now, and two of them um have uh no fawns with them, but the other ones still have yearlings with them. So, you know, the yearlings are still with the does, they're not being separated out yet. So uh, like you said, I think the the bucks are locked down right now in the woods with the ones that are in estrus, but these other ones, they're gonna be coming in estrus in another 30 days. So be on the lookout.
SPEAKER_08Go ahead, Red Bow.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I was gonna say, yeah, we're we're about out of time in this segment. And you know, we haven't talked about the uh total numbers for the opening weekend of Missouri Deer Hunt. And I've got those numbers here, so uh we'll we'll pick up on this and would like to pass those numbers along for those that haven't seen them already, uh, we'll do that in just a minute. You're listening to American Roots Outdoors Radio with Alex Rutledge and his friends.
SPEAKER_00This is Brenda Valentine, and you're listening to American Roots Outdoors with Alex Rutledge and friends.
SPEAKER_07Hey guys, it's food plot planting time here in the Ozarks and all across the country. What are you planting this year, Wayne? I'm gonna put some smorgasboard in with a whole lot of clover.
SPEAKER_02Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, clover at what mortgage board? What is mortgage board?
SPEAKER_03Man, it is a variety of annuals and perennials that'll get you through fall time, winter time, and all the way into spring.
SPEAKER_07It's awesome. You want to plant healthier food plots to track all kinds of game? Go to www.eagesteed.com. It's a smorgasbord. You know, we all get tired of certain things. The smortgage board has everything. Your deer will love it. Eagleseed.com.
SPEAKER_09Mm-hmm. Fast on down land.
SPEAKER_02You know, Alex, there is a company in the outdoors that wants to provide quality hunting gear at affordable prices for the everyday hunter.
SPEAKER_07Yes, there is, Redbone. It's Tide Weed. These guys are a blue-collar company. They make excellent products that's very affordable for everybody. And these guys want to help every outdoorsman live out their passions in the outdoors.
SPEAKER_03And to find out more about this company, just go to www.tideweed.com. That's t-i-d-e-w-e.com.
SPEAKER_09Around your heart, so you never gotta worry.
SPEAKER_08What the win. Eagle Seed and Bugrits presents American Roots Outdoors. Welcome back to the show. Segment three of the show. You just listened to our second and first segment. We talked about success. We talked about the peak rut and strategies that created the success that we've had so far here in Southern Missouri. And big deer have been biting the dirt. And Redbone, touch on our numbers right now in Southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, or throughout the country.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, I don't have the Arkansas numbers because there's an issue with the uh Arkansas Game and Fish Commission website. Last I checked. They were they were having some issues there, and they didn't have the numbers posted. But in Missouri, opening weekend, we're talking uh this is just Saturday and Sunday. Uh in Missouri, uh things were really good. 93, it's actually a little bit over, 93,000 deer were harvested. The opening weekend, which was up about 5,000 from last year. Uh and that is a huge increase for the weekend. Now, reason might be weather-related or whatever the case may be. Uh Texas County hunters, Alex, uh, harvested 1,725 deer. That was the second most in the state. And Franklin County, again, was the number one county in the state. Howell County was just 500 off the place. Howell County hunters took 1,294. Douglas County, 1,182. Uh, Sharon County. 1,046. Oreg County was way down. I don't know why Oregon County was way down, but 887 in Oregon County. Ripley County, 870. Ozark County was 714, and Carter County with 534.
SPEAKER_08Wow. So numbers. Carter County was leading us in youth kills and everything over all the other counties, them in Howe County. But uh I I I said this in one of our earlier shows. I think we'll be with record kills with this cold weather's come in, the snow and the temperatures, and I I can tell you this also, anybody that's endured this cold weather my hat's off to you. You hunting smart if you stay in the vehicle or in a good line and wearing good heated clothing like high we or shooting houses with heaters. It's been really cold. This morning I heard it was 22 degrees, and we had an eight-mile-an hour wind, so the wind chill was down there almost to zero. It was pretty tough. I lasted until 8:30, two and a half hours, and I had to go into my truck and warm up. But I'm getting ready to go back out uh right after we're done recording this show to an Eagle Seed food plot. But uh that's that's my thoughts on success. Uh, you guys want to elaborate on your thoughts?
SPEAKER_02Well, I just think that because uh I mean the the deer numbers are just way up. And I do want to mention, too, that uh of that 93,000 deer that were were harvested, about 30,000 were does. So so that's good that you know right at a third of the deer harvested were does. And and that's a good thing, Alex, and and we talk about that quite a bit. The uh, you know, the doe population is probably bigger than it needs to be. Uh so you know, thank you to the hunters that are that are killing killing does or harvesting does out there. But uh the other thing is that you know some counties were down, some were up, and some were down substantially. And don't know if it's the hunters, but I have a theory on some of this. And and some of it is I think there are more and more people as we continue to talk about it that are wanting to kill big, mature bucks. They're just not out hunting for a buck or any buck. They're hunting for a particular buck. And and we were talking about that at lunch today. And everybody said, Well, here's the one that I'm hunting, and you know, everybody's got their trail camera. Their hit list, yeah, that everybody's got their hit list now, and here's the one I'm hunting, this one or or I might go for this one here if he steps out. So I think that you know, people are kind of hearing the message that if you want to have big bucks on your farm or your lease or whatever the case may be, then you've got to just kill big mature deer. And I think it's starting to pay off.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I agree. I mean the the the old saying that um they're not they're never gonna get big if you shoot them when they're little. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, and I think the old mindset of if it's brown, it's down, I think that's gone.
SPEAKER_03Right. And and that uh and you look at like the uh years and years ago before the deer numbers got where they are today. You mean you if you shot a deer, you were like the talk of the town. Oh, absolutely. Now it's like, oh man, I'm walk walking out to my truck and I see seven deer in front of my house. You know, it's like them days are not like they used to be, like your grandfather days. So I mean imagine if you could bring your grandfather back to today and see what you know the Department of Conservation has done and hunters have done to explode this population.
SPEAKER_02You know, some of the old-time hunters, and Alex, you can probably back this up. If they were to go out and hunt today with a deer population like it is now, and I'm talking about guys that hunted back in the 70s and even back into the 60s, they would harvest like 27 deer a day.
SPEAKER_08Well, I want to elaborate and respond to what you were talking about, uh, about you know everybody is wanting to shoot a mature deer. And and I I don't think there's nothing wrong with that. But I think we need to still keep ourselves in check with you know, it's not gonna help keep the boundary. So it's very crucial that we all give helping bound. We have clear the helping gear. And we got combined and I think we're having a move. And what we do, and I again repeating, I've talked about this a lot. We do not shoot any does on our properties until after the rut. When the rut's done, when we kill does. Think about that strategy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I think a lot of people, and that's part of what I'm what I was saying is people have bought into the whole concept, I think, of deer management, because a third of the does that have been, or a third of the deer that have been killed so far are does. And I think that's where it comes from. Everybody seems to be buying into the entire package of deer management, and I think it's that way statewide. We need to go to another break. We'll be back with our final segment of American Roots Outdoors Radio right after this.
SPEAKER_06Hey y'all, it's Tyler Farr, and you're listening to my good buddy, Mr. Alex Rutledge on American Roots Outdoors.
SPEAKER_07Redbone Wayne, have you heard about the 12-volt power package? I've heard a little bit. Tell me more. Yeah, what it is, it's it's a battery that you can hook to your stealth cameras. Uh even charge your cell phones. This company's becomes really innovative.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I've got a couple of myself, and they're so easy to use. My six-year-old helps me set them up in the woods on my website.
SPEAKER_07You want to improve your battery life in your stealth cameras? Check out the 12-volt power pack. I'll have to do that. Do they have a website? Yes, it's jkroutdoors.com.
SPEAKER_08Hi, we JKR Outdoors presents American Roots Outdoors, segment four of our show. Uh, we've touched on some great subject matter here to help our listeners hopefully uh become more successful in the field. And we're all sharing our opinions. It doesn't mean we're 100% correct, but we're just sharing what we believe works for us, and we hope you take that in and absorb and try it yourself. I I just want to say this. It's cold weather I touched on a minute ago. Tide Wee has heated vests, heated waders, heated jackets, heated gloves. If you're a cold and you played in the hunt, waterfowl hunt, whatever, you need to check out Tide Wii. Wayne, did you get your vest and redbone?
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah, I did. Yeah, I played Santa Claus today to Redbone when I brought his vest into him and he was all tickled pink, thought it was Christmas morning.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah, and why and you know there uh a lot of times, Alex, when you you hear about things like this and you and you see them and you go, eh, okay. These are good-looking vests.
SPEAKER_03And they're comfortable.
SPEAKER_02They're I mean, I can see wearing this thing all the time.
SPEAKER_03And if you look at the stitching, you can tell they're very well made, too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, I'm like it. I'm matter of fact, uh, I'll be uh uh out this weekend. Temperature is supposed to be 17 for lows in the morning. I guarantee I'm gonna have that dude and I'm gonna have it turned up on high.
SPEAKER_03Exactly.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. I got one from Linda as well, and uh she can't stand the cold very much. And I'm getting ready to wear mine to the field. Actually, I stole Linda, she doesn't know it yet. Because mine was too small. I gotta send mine back or sell it to a friend, but they're gonna send me another one. Uh you just charge the battery up to 100%, plug it in, and it heats your whole back and the front parts of you, and it keeps you warm. I want to touch on this too. Both of the gear that Duncan and Janelle shot, they shoot 20 ammunition, and we shoot the match, new match bullets and the match ammunition. Uh each one of those 6.23 more, they both shot the same gun. Each butt did not run 50 yards. And both of them shot behind the shoulder, took out the hard line, often shot. Congrats on making great shots. And and I want to talk about your trail cameras. You guys using trail cameras, if you're running a solar panel, you know these cloudy days that your your solar panel actually loses its strength. So what we do at America Loots Outdoors and Wayne, you just picked up two batteries, you talk about.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I mean, one of the things I always try to is have a battery charge ready to go at home. But also, you know, by having the solar uh uh panels on your batteries, like we got uh we had five days of basically no sun. And so I noticed my battery percentage dropped down to almost 50%. But I am looking at the forecast and we've got six days of nothing but sunshine coming up, so it's gonna charge them batteries right up, but it's always great to have an extra battery on hand because especially if you're like for me, I use uh I got two of my cameras set up for video, one for pictures. It takes a lot more energy and a lot more battery power to send that video every time a deer walks by than it does just a picture. And so uh, you know, you keep that in mind. So if you're doing videos, you're gonna be using a lot of battery power, and you're probably gonna have to make that trip out to switch that 12-pack out or 12-volt battery out, even though normally if you're doing pictures, like last like we said earlier this year, mine went six months before I had to go and change it out.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, I've got several batteries that's still running, uh, but I've had to charge some as well. But what I like to do in my setups, I run the solar panel and have the battery there as well. So when the solar panel goes down, it's it's cloudy. I just switch from the solar panel right to the power pack. And anybody that's interested in ordering the power pack, I've got plenty of batteries in stock here in my garage. We have them in stock, and I'll last you anywhere from three to six months without charging. And it's a great deal. You never have to go touch your camera when you're running a wise eye camera with JK R outdoors 12-volt power packs. It's a great setup.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you were just talking about uh that they were both shooting the 6.5 Creedmore, and I happened to be able lucky enough to get my hands on a 6-5 Creedmoor. And this is my first ever-time rifle hunting for uh Whitetail. Because in Ohio, we we couldn't do that. It was shotgun, muzzle load, or bow. That's pretty much all you could do. And um, so I was so excited. I mean, uh, I was sight, you know, I went over to your place, Alex. You helped me side in with the uh Hornady ammo. Uh I think it was what, three shots, and we were attacking the center. Um, so that was perfect. Um, I was super pumped. Man, I woke up uh Saturday morning. I was I like an hour before I was even supposed to, and um, I couldn't go back to sleep. So I went ahead and just had had my coffee and um got dressed and sat around for a little bit and then uh got out to the stand or excuse me, the blind. And then, you know, sun, it was just like perfect. I mean, I was so pumped. And then all of a sudden, about three hours into my hunt, I've had those come through. I had two small bucks, or one small buck come through, another buck that was borderline for me. And all of a sudden, I was like, oh man, something I just ain't feeling right. So I sent Alex a message. I said, dude, I think I'm gonna leave my stand at 10 o'clock. And he's like, What? That was his like big capital letters, what? You know, why are you leaving your blind? And I by the time I walked from my blind to my truck and just drove to my house, which is uh I was only three-quarter of a mile away, but um, I walked into the house and I was dripping sweat. My wife took my temperature, it was 103, and I was out for 20 hours straight, slept. Uh, so I I opening weekend for me was a big disappointment, but all I know is I have that that Creedmore is calling my name because I cannot wait to shoot my first Missouri deer with a rifle uh this week. If it's a doe, I mean I know we got this whole don't shoot before the rudd and that, but I'm telling you what, that creedmore is calling my name right now. That's a sweet shooting little gun. Yeah, and that's what Alex said, because he shot it too, and it it's so smooth, and to me, it was almost like a little stronger than a 22, but nothing like the other guns I used to shoot.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, you asked me about recoil on the gun, and and I told you, not hardly any.
SPEAKER_03Right. Yeah, there's hardly any.
SPEAKER_02I'm sold on the 6.5 Creedmoor's, absolutely.
SPEAKER_03What do you think of shooting it, Alex?
SPEAKER_08I'm shooting a 243, and I shoot the white American white gel ammunition, and uh, I absolutely love that round. I fell in love with a 243 for years. I would preach shoot a 30 caliber, shoot a 30 caliber, shoot a 30 caliber. You got more energy, more knockdown. Well, it's all about bullet placement, right? And you know, we are so very honored to work with 180 ammunition, and they make you know that new L E L D X bullet, and that's what Thomas Moore's shooting, and it's it's the low drag bullet, and it's unbelievable. Hornady is a serious, serious player uh in the outdoor industry when it comes to ammunition, especially rifle ammunition and tactical. They got it going on, and we're just proud to be working with them.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I'm shooting the Hornady 3030 ammo because I've gone back, I like to go traditional, and I've gone back to my Model 94 Winchester 3030 lever action. I've gone back to hunting with it, and that Hornady ammunition is deadly in that 3030.
SPEAKER_03Scope or no scope?
SPEAKER_02Scope. Okay, I'm 62 years old. If I don't if I don't have the scope on, I can't even see that front sight, much less try and put it on a deer, or I can see the deer either.
SPEAKER_10Right.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, it's it's it's it's the scope, it's a side mouse scope. It makes the gun look really cool because it's a saddle carbine. It's Lobby short gun.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. And uh, yeah, I love it. Well, this is one thing that Alex, when he helped me set up this last food plot, he kept saying, Well, do you want to go wider on this plot? You know, uh, my length is good. I was like, no, no, I want to keep it this this wide right here. And there's a reason behind that, and uh I I'm gonna leave that as a teaser right now because we're gonna leave the rest of the story on how Alex helped set up this for success on this food plot. But um we're getting ready to wrap the show up.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we are. Yeah, and the time has flown by today, and it is time for us to kind of wrap it up. Alex, anything you want to mention before we uh wrap it up for today?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, just remember, you know, keep your focus on the does. Where you're seeing a lot of does is where you're gonna find these bucks. And, you know, don't worry about hunting bucks on as much as hunting the does right now because it's peak rut. When you've got does any of these bucks that's been locked down, are gonna leave these does once they're bred. He's gonna look and seek out more extra stove. Keep that in mind. And remember, share the outdoors with children. Uh, friends, it's God's creation. And remember, it's up to you and I to help pass on our great hunting heritage.
SPEAKER_07And remember, when your roots run deep and strong, there's no reason to fear the wind.
SPEAKER_09So you never gotta worry what the wind might do. American roots.
SPEAKER_02Thank you for joining us for today's American Roots Outdoors Radio with Alex Rutledge. You can find us on Facebook. Look us up on the World Wide Web at American RootsOutdoors.com. We'll be back again next week on this great radio station. Accurate, deadly, dependable, Hornity Ammunition. From a two-man operation in 1949 to a world-leading innovator of bullet ammunition, reloading tool, and accessories design and manufacturer today. Hornity. Each piece is hand inspected to ensure consistency and quality. Ammunition engineered to perform flawlessly, simply put, the best. Hornady ammunition. Find Hornady Ammunition at a retailerdear you and at Hornity.com.
SPEAKER_03Eagle Seed, Buck Grits, Tide Weed, JKR Outdoors, and Hornady presents American Roots Outdoors with Alex Rutledge and Friends. If you're listening to this, that means you're listening to us on the podcast. We appreciate you guys tuning into the podcast and checking us out. Make sure you subscribe, friend us, subs, whatever it tells you to do on your particular podcast, just click that button, you'll get our episode sent to you every week. You'll get notified. And uh make sure you leave us a review. Uh every now and then we draw names out of their review, so make sure you leave your full name and the state you're from so we can locate you. Uh, we got some great prizes. Uh, this week we're going to be giving out a um t-shirt from Wiseye and a decal from Wiseye.
SPEAKER_10All right, very cool.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So uh, you know, when we when we left off um on the radio. On the radio show.
SPEAKER_10On the radio portion, right?
SPEAKER_03We uh we were talking about I was I gave a little teaser about uh the uh Alex telling me, hey, do you want to change your the way you have this last food plot that we're creating a little bit differently? Because I got I I I always make all my food plots no more than 50 yards wide and no more than uh 80 yards long. And why? Because I'm used to hunting in Ohio. Muzzle loader and bow. So if it's a bow and it's either um if if it the deer walks through the middle, if it walks on the far edge, it's still within bow range for me. Right. Now I have to I have to switch my gear, and I and uh this I now I know now I know Saturday morning what Alex was talking about because I'm using that 6'5 Creedmore, and I had an eight-point buck walk out 20 yards in front of me, and I'm thinking, okay, now I understand why he said I should probably create my food plot a little bigger because I can reach out and touch something during rifle season in that. Exactly. And I I've never had to do that. So to me, that was a new experience. And so I'm gonna think this next year here, once the season ends and this next spring, I'm gonna have the guy come uh Dwayne come back in and make it a little wider for me, and I'm probably gonna increase it to about a hundred yards wide.
SPEAKER_02You know, and and and that brings uh brings up an interesting point, uh, Wayne. And uh that is, you know, if people are creating food plots, and and I'm sure there are people listening right now that don't have food plots, but they've been hunting, they've been hunting in the woods or wherever, and they're going, you know what, we need to put in a gall darn food plot. Well, that's something that people need to consider.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_02Because you don't want to put in a food plot so big that you can't reach either end or across with the rifle that you're shooting. But you also don't want to create something that is so small that uh the deer is not gonna see you or smell you easily.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_02You know what I'm talking about?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I mean, if if you put out something that's you know, and and sometimes people do, especially in the middle of the woods, a very small, you know, just uh a hundred by a hundred feet or fifty. Yeah, a little honey hole. Uh but you know, generally you're gonna hunt that, you know, probably off of it, you're gonna hunt off of it, and you're gonna hunt up in a tree. But you want to make sure that you can hunt that food plot effectively from whichever end or side of the food plot that the weather dictates that you hunt in that day.
SPEAKER_03Right. Yep, that's and that's another thing. You gotta make sure you have the right access points and check your wind, like we were just talking about earlier in the show, you know.
SPEAKER_02Um and put blinds or or tree stands at either end of the food plot or on either side. Yeah. That way you've got multiple options of where you want to hunt that particular day.
SPEAKER_03Right. And hopefully you have multiple ways to come in, whether you're walking a creek, walking a ridgeline, or driving up an old tractor path, you know, try to have and this is where getting along with your neighbor really pays off. Because if your neighbor will let you use his property to get into your property, I mean that could seal a deal right there, uh, especially if the wind is not in your favor. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But uh but anyway, that's so so people that don't do food plots are thinking they might want to. Uh that's really something to take into consideration. What do you, as far as rifle season goes, anyway, what do you hunt with? How far are you comfortable shooting? Because you don't want that food plot to be a whole lot bigger than what that distance is. Right. Because there'd be nothing you know, I I know people that shoot deer regularly at 300 yards, 350. That's a big food plot. Uh but uh most generally, you know, 100, 150 yards is about what people are comfortable shooting.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So I wouldn't want I wouldn't do one a whole lot bigger than that. And that's what I got to get is more comfortable shooting now that I can shoot a rifle. At a greater distance. At a greater distance. Yeah. You know, with a muzzle loader, because I I I don't even shoot scope with a muzzle loader. I'm iron sights. Right. Um, although I'm getting to, like you said, the older we get, you know, maybe I might have to.
SPEAKER_02Those iron sights on the front get smaller and smaller.
SPEAKER_03Smaller, smaller, and fuzzier, and they get fuzzier. Fuzzier, right? And they get fuzzy. But uh yeah, I mean I'm gonna have to, you know, look at changing some stuff up definitely uh for the food plot now that I have the access and ability to hunt with a rifle, which uh again, I'm so excited about. And I've I've already got a neighbor, uh, elderly couple that uh said, Hey, you know, if if you have any deer meat this year that you can spare, I say, Well, I'll give you a whole deer. You know, I got no problem with that. So um they're like, oh, they're tickled pink when I told them that on Monday. So I I figure next doe, I'm gonna go out Thursday, you know, tomorrow, because we're recording on Wednesday, so I'm gonna go out tomorrow. And I tell you, if a doe walks by, she's going down if she's a mature doe. Sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and and I I have not hunted all week. And one of the reasons is number one, I'm I've been working every day.
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_02Uh and number two is I have no room in my freezer. We have three freezers, and and we had enough success with the garden that, you know, two of the freezers are full of stuff out of the garden. You know, tomatoes for for making soup and and frozen uh tomatoes for making chili and and all that kind of stuff. Right. And then, you know, and blackberries and squash and okra. I mean, we put all that stuff in freezer bags.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Uh so they're two and they're small freeders, but two of them are full of vegetables and fruit out of the garden. And uh what's not full in the second one uh has my deer head in it from last year. Because I haven't taken it to my cousin Brad yet for him to do my European mouth.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02Uh and and actually I I decided not to do that, so I actually I've gotten that out. But but also the third freezer is full of meat because we we go to the stores and have meat sales and we stock up. So I have nowhere to put a deer in the freezer. You know, and it I mean absolutely no room in the freezer. So I told Nina the other day, I said, you know, I'm gonna go get my tag. I'm gonna hunt this last weekend, and if I should be fortunate enough to harvest the deer, I'm gonna get on my Facebook and I'm gonna offer it to someone else.
SPEAKER_03There you go. And I tell you, I I when I hunted up in Cleveland, that's one of the things me and my my son did all the time. Because in the urban areas there, there was a couple years where you were able to harvest 15 deer.
SPEAKER_10Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_03Um, you know, 15 does. Let me rephrase that. So you're able to harvest 15 dough. And uh now I never did the full 15, but you know, when you shoot six does, seven does, and your son also shoots seven does, eight does, because you always had to shoot one more than me. Right. You know, what do you do with 15, 16 dough? We ended up always donating them to the Harvest for Hunger Hunger Hungers, Hunters for Hunger program. Yeah, exactly. Or just people that we knew that needed them. And it's a great feeling, uh, no doubt about it. And and I feel your pain about the freezer situation because uh, as you may know, uh last week I won a half a cow. Yeah, yeah, half a beef. And uh the uh it didn't dawn on me that's like, oh wow, I can't believe I won this. First, I thought it was a joke when they called me, and I was like, okay, you guys are just pulling my leg, and they're like, no, look on Facebook, it's there. And then I got off the phone, I told Renee, I was like, I can't believe we actually won this. And she's like, where are we gonna put it? I'm like, I wonder how much meat is in half a cow. I'm like, that's it's gotta be quite a bit, you know. And so the guy calls me up like, you know, 20 minutes later, and he's like, Yeah, you can figure with the cows I'm looking at taken in. He says, You're gonna figure about 300 pounds of meat you're gonna get. And I'm like, I've got nothing that's gonna hold that. So we went out this week and ordered a new freezer. Yeah, 13 cubic foot stand-up, and that's I mean, so if I even if I get a deer, it's gonna be full of cows, so I'm gonna have to give a deer away anyway.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, and and and I guess point being is uh I know a lot of people that don't hunt much anymore. They love it, but like, you know what, you know, we we have one to eat and donate to somebody else.
SPEAKER_03Right. Donate with today's meat prices, I'm telling you, people can really they really appreciate it, especially the you look at some of the elderly people who are on fixed income, they can't even afford to buy ground meat anymore.
SPEAKER_02Right. Yeah, and and you know, taking that deer and grinding it up into deer burger, uh they will absolutely love it. Yes, but any but anyway, so so do that. I mean, if that's what's keeping you out of the deer woods, well, donate to somebody else. I was actually talking to somebody earlier this week and and they asked me if I've been hunting. I said, No, I don't ever put one. And he said, Well, I'll take one. There you go. I was like, Well, I hadn't thought about that. And then on my drive home then from where I was, I thought slapping myself upside the head and goes, You ding bat, why didn't you go ahead and hunt the opening weekend and donate the deer to somebody else?
SPEAKER_03Because I guarantee if you put it on Facebook, it would be someone would claim it in the middle of the year. Don't minute dawn and minutes. Yep.
SPEAKER_02Alright, so Alex or Alex. Alex.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you know.
SPEAKER_02Well, you're wearing all that orange.
SPEAKER_03All that orange, and I got a beard.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so you know, everybody looks the same when you get to be my age.
SPEAKER_03See, I used to thought I was younger and better looking, but now you're saying we look the same. I don't know. I better get myself back in shape.
SPEAKER_02All right. Anyway, we need to uh we need to wrap it up. And and we'll thank everybody for tuning in on the podcast today. And you know, uh, you didn't mention at the beginning of the podcast there, uh, that if you miss the radio show, a lot of great information on the radio show, it is also available on the podcast page.
SPEAKER_03That's correct. Yeah, if you if you tuned into the radio show late, just go to the podcast page. You can catch the whole radio show and in its entirety, plus the bonus segment that you're listening to now. Uh, and that goes with every episode we go back three years. Um we're proud of that too.
SPEAKER_02And if you go listen to the radio show, I told what is perhaps maybe the funniest joke in the history of jokes on the radio show. And uh you just go back and listen and listen for it.
SPEAKER_03That's right. Yeah, and your jokes are yeah, they're something all right. But everybody, uh you know, again, thank you for listening to American Roots Outdoors with Alex Relage and his friends. This is Wayne Locke, Mike Crace. And like we say here at American Roots, when your roots run deep and strong, there's no reason to fear the window.