For the Fowlers Podcast
Introducing "For the Fowlers," a new waterfowl hunting podcast based in Northern California. Our goal is to dive into every aspect of this sport we're so passionate about.
We aim to create a valuable resource for new hunters, helping them get into the sport, while also engaging experienced fowlers with our stories and those of our guests.
For the Fowlers Podcast
Ep. 11 “Tis the Season” for Limits... or Coal
Holiday season meets duck season, and we’re leaning into both. We invited our buddy Pete to swap honest hunt stories, share the gear that actually earns pack space, and weigh in on the unspoken rules that keep a crowded marsh from melting down. From car-camping at refuge lots to slow-burn grassland days and a rice pit that exposed bad habits, we connect the dots between smart motion, better setups, and the mindset that turns “average” conditions into steady birds.
We build a practical gift list for waterfowlers—personalized tumblers that don’t quit, modern blind bags that cut clutter, and motion that matters. If you’ve never seen the Mojo Mallard Machine boil a pond, consider this your sign. We also break down decoy spacing and family groups, the jerk string vs. splasher debate, and why a dependable wading shell beats trend gear when the sky opens up. On guns, we compare the feel of a 20-gauge semi that’s deadly in the tules to a 12-gauge workhorse that shines on wind days and goose flybys. Thinking ahead? We also talk mud motors, club buy-ins, and the comfort that comes with a place to cook breakfast and talk birds.
Then we go there: sky busting, crowding blinds after setup, late arrivals squeezing in, overloaded hides, and loud dog handling. We call it fair but firm—leave buffers, shoot ethical windows, train at home, and earn your spot without wrecking someone else’s morning. Finally, we thread the needle on holiday balance. A dawn hunt can become a family tradition if you’re dependable with time and generous with the wild game platter—tell them what it is after they’ve had a bite.
If you love straight talk, field-tested gear picks, and the kind of etiquette that keeps the marsh friendly, you’re in the right place. Follow For the Fowlers on Instagram, subscribe wherever you listen, and drop a review to help more waterfowlers find the show. What belongs on your naughty-or-nice list this season?
What's up, guys? Welcome to For the Fowlers. I'm Brandon. And I'm Caitlin. What's going on, Caton? How are we doing?
SPEAKER_01:I'm doing good. Just getting ready for the holidays and getting some good duck hunting in and all the good stuff.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, nice, man. Well, we're recording this episode the weekend before Christmas. So you heard Caiton say he's getting ready for the holidays. And so this episode's going to be kind of a fun Christmas themed episode. You know, we'll kind of talk about some gifts for the everyday waterfowler. If any folks are still kind of looking for a gift for themselves, or you know, maybe a wife or spouse is you know in the car or truck listening to this podcast, and you're like, hey, that sounds like a great gift idea for for the hunter and the family. So we'll share some of that. We'll maybe talk a little bit about some of the things on our Christmas wish list. You know, if you know, if Santa was to bring us anything when it came to the waterfowl community, we'll kind of share uh what's on the top of our wish list. And then this was kind of a fun one. We uh put together a list of some things that tend to happen, you know, either pre-deering or post-hunt, and we're gonna kind of break that down and see if that's uh considered naughty or nice, sticking with the holiday trend. But before we dive into it, don't really I mean I guess technically he's a guest, but we'll uh we got a good buddy joining us today. Yeah, we got a good buddy joining us today for uh folks that have listened to the uh episodes quite a bit. You know, we've talked a little bit about him. It's our good buddy Pete. What's up, Pete?
SPEAKER_02:How are we doing, guys? Appreciate the uh the intro and the invite.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so you know, we figured this be a good episode for Pete to come on. You know, he's obviously been a big listener, big supporter of the podcast. And you know, he and I, when you know we got into hunting at the same time, and uh, you know, uh I feel like you know the first few seasons, man, we were uh you and I were hunting together all the time, but you know, obviously, you know, I don't want to I'll let maybe you explain kind of what what happened not that anything happened, but you know, I know I totally dove into the deep end, and uh you know, I I don't want to describe it, I'd say maybe more of like a weekend warrior for old Pete here, but he's normally good for a few hunts a season. And you know, I'll tell you what, when he's out there, and this is what we were talking about on the uh previous episodes, like dude, he he's willing to put in the work. Uh he'll meal a cart across the refuge or you know, so no, we're happy. Yeah, exactly. We're happy to have him on here. So so what's up, man?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, everything's good, man. Yeah, I mean, I mean, I'm I'm your typical weekend warrior, do love to hunt. But yeah, when I first got into hunting about nine, ten years ago, you know, with our good buddy Garza introduced it. You know, it really stuck for the first three, four years. And then, you know, I guess if I would point at anything as far as the decline in hunting, maybe be the COVID years when, you know, everybody and their mom kind of started hunting and refugee lines and all that stuff started getting a little bit more competitive and all that, and the wait time started, you know, increasing and numbers started not getting pulled and all that good stuff. But no, I enjoyed getting out there, you know, three or four times a year, you know, kind of turned more into hunting some of my buddies' clubs and some of their private property. But you know, I'm always a willing enable hunter, and like you said, I'm I'm willing to pull his play, push his play, you know, throw some deep. You know, you need you you need another limit or another uh hunter out there with you, I'm your guy.
SPEAKER_00:So yeah, I I I told Pete uh and Caitlin, but I told Pete before we hit record here that I I wasn't gonna make fun, and I'm not making fun here, but when you mentioned the COVID one, Caitlin will remember this one here. So when Pete and I started hunting together, we used to always do the lottery run. We'd be out, you know, going from refuge to refuge, putting in trying to get the best number if we didn't have a resie. And then uh, you know, back in those days, Pete and I we'd end up getting a hotel room like in Williams, staying the night, you know, or in Calusa. But during COVID, yeah, during COVID, you know, like hotels were hard to come by, and then it was kind of actually during the time of like you know, we had all those wildfires and stuff. So I started hunting with Caton because Pete was kind of dropping off a little bit, and that's when we kind of discovered the car camping, you know, at the refuge check station, right?
SPEAKER_01:And it's in the back of a forerunner.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. And now now we you know have a little more luxury with you know Caitlin bringing the trailer down to duck camp or he would you know haul it to the refuge parking lot. But I'm laughing because one of Pete's like first experiences staying in the refuge parking lot. Do you remember we all parked next to each other? And Pete, you know, he's got a busy job and he had a you know a bunch of sales stuff in the back of his in his back of his car, but he kind of moved enough to you know make sure he could lay out or whatnot. So it's it's like a December-January hunt. It's freezing out there. And uh I don't you guys won't be able to see this, but you know, Pete's a big guy, old football player, he's tall too. He was laying with his feet hanging out the back of the hatchback, didn't even sh didn't even shut the trunk with nothing but like a fleece blanket on top of him. So, so man, when he gets out there and he doesn't complain, and uh, you know, he's willing to you know put in the work out there to uh make you know the hunt a success, but it it's all for good good times, good laughs.
SPEAKER_01:Was that that same hunt where I saw you hang your waders on your mirror? And I was like, Oh, that's such a great idea.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and let me tell let me tell that story real quick. So, yeah, I'm getting ready to set up my car to set up to sleep in it. And so Caiton sees that I got my waders hanging on my rear or my side view mirror. He's like, Oh, that's a great idea just to get them out of, you know, make some room in the car. Well, what he didn't know is I just put them there to kind of set up my you know, blanket or sleeping bags and all that, and I put them back in the car. Caitin left his out all night, so here he is at four in the morning putting them on, and these things are like ice cold because they've been sitting out in the dew. Yeah, been sitting out in the dew and everything.
SPEAKER_01:So I just remember getting in like the the refuge line or at the right at the window. I'm like, why would why'd you do this? Jake, I didn't do that. Yeah, and I'm like, I swear you had them hanging on your driver's side mirror.
SPEAKER_02:Let me just chime in. Real hunters wear cold waiters, you we don't need those puppies warmed up in the morning here. Come on, just throw up on wear wear it and you know, get your own warmth going here.
SPEAKER_00:So I I don't know if this is where you were going with that, but in our kind of early club days, we won't throw any names out there, but uh we at our at one of our clubhouses, we had one of those big like what are they, like those iron oven fireplaces, you know, uh those heavy ones and everything. And a guy brought his kid out there, and the kid wanted to be anywhere but a duck blind, and it was pretty funny. So we're all kind of getting ready, you know, making breakfast, getting ready for the hunt and everything. And all of a sudden we hear like, hey, hey, look, I won't use his name, but hey buddy, you know, hey, come on, time to get up. I I warmed your waiters by the fire. So uh so I'm like, yeah, that actually like, hey, throw mine over there. Exactly. That sounded like a that sounded like a pretty good idea, but yeah, no, we're we're yeah, yeah. We're you we're used waiters thing, we'll put it out. Yeah, we're used to the elements though. But so Pete, I know we talked a little bit about, you know, obviously you got your start with myself and Garza and everything, but I know it it's interesting, man. We haven't actually we've we've gone out to the same property and hunted. I feel like the last couple years we've been pretty fortunate to have had some access to some private land through a mutual friend, but they all run two-man blind. So every time we're normally hunting with one of the members, so we haven't had a chance to hunt together. I mean, that was still the case last week, but I know you were out there, you got into a couple birds. How was the hunt last week down in the grasslands?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it was cool. I mean, obviously, I think the club down there still wait for some weather to kind of shake these birds up. I'll definitely probably head out there at least once or two more once or twice more before the season ends. And I've been kind of just you know, chirping at these guys too, just to see how they've been doing. But yeah, we got into a couple birds each, and yeah, there's a couple solo geese that we're flying around too that we were able to get out get our hands on. But yeah, you know, put a about a half day's work in. I know some other hunters out there on this property, you know, were able to get limits as well too. So had to grind it out. But yeah, it was a good day. And like I said, for I mean, I do a little trap shoot leading into the the season, and like I said, hunt my two or three times, but yeah, it was it was good and we got after it and wasted some shells too.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I'll tell you what, man, like for a guy that doesn't hunt that often, like you mentioned he does the trap shooting. I'm not just saying this, like he's a pretty good shot. You know, I know Caitlin and I will go out there early in the season and you know, we're knocking the rust off the first hunt or two, but I feel like you know, for you know, Pete's out there, and I know you you got into a couple teal last week too, and those are some quick, you know, that buzzing by.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah, yeah, the the club's known for shooting a lot of teals out there. I probably haven't well probably haven't shot one there in a few years, but yeah, I was able to get a couple teals and the snow out there, and even my buddy Clay, in former football teammate I played with, he was uh surprised it took one and done. But but yeah, it was it was it was cool to be able to get in that environment. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it was it was a good it was a good hunt. Like, like I said, I was out there on the property too. Pete mentioned his buddy Clay. I hunted with Clay's dad, and you know, we we got our limits, but it took every part of the shoot time to get it. This club only shoots till noon on the weekend on Saturdays to kind of you know relieve some of the pressure. So if folks want to hunt Sunday, they still have a good opportunity. And I think we limited it out just after 11:30. So it was a good day. And this club, you know, I think I don't know if I mentioned on the podcast or I was talking to another person, but you know, they're they're pretty selective on the birds they like to shoot. So I mean we probably could have had our limit much earlier, but you know, they obviously like have certain ducks they like to shoot, and and we're obviously guests of that club. And even though we don't mind shooting them, you know, we'll we'll play by you know their preferences and everything. So it was cool. But uh yeah, that was a fun weekend, man, for those grassland folks and and that are familiar with the area, and you know, those folks that follow us on Instagram at For the Fowlers, you saw that we went down Friday night and had a good dinner down at Wool Growers there in wool in uh Los Banos, too. So that was a lot of fun. There was about I think about 10 to 12 members there, and then us as some guests, and it was a good group, you know, family-style eating. And you know what's funny about that, and I was thinking, is you know, all the times hunting with Pete, and I I Kate and you'll know this too, is Pete doesn't eat much out on the hunts or the night before, and I think Pete's biggest fear on a hunt is having to uh you know go back to verbals to not shit in the not shitting the blind, you know.
SPEAKER_02:So which is one of my favorite episodes, by the way. So hopefully the uh the fellow listeners out there enjoyed that one as much as me.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. No, so it was funny. So I'm sitting next to Pete, and you know, it's like a vegetable bisque soup, and I don't know if you had any of the beans. Did you eat any of the beans? You know, they had good salad, it just comes out the same kind of courses and everything, and then uh I was like, oh man, this guy's definitely it's gonna be a rough one the next day, but no, it was it was wool growers is great, man. It's been a handful of years since I've been there. Caitan, have you ever gone your time going down to Banas? I used to go down there, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Well, not never dug hunting. I went there with a couple different yeah uh managers back in the day when I was on the sales route.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Um well uh yeah, shout out yeah, shout out wool growers though. But um, yeah, it was cool.
SPEAKER_02:It's a sta it it's a staple down there. We actually stopped. I played ball at Sack State, we stopped there on the way to Cal Poly our junior year, and Woolgrowers uh everything we have with about 60 guys, and I put them out of business for a few days probably. Yeah, we got down. That was yeah, years ago.
SPEAKER_00:So uh Kate and you haven't been on an episode or two. Uh how's the hunting been for you? I know your your blinds are starting to at least you're able to hunt out there. I know it's been slow going with the fog and everything, but uh how are you know, and not to spot burn, but I know you made a couple treks up north north of your your spot, so how's it been?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, finally got out to the rice uh with Chuck last weekend, let's say. And it was good. It was funny because we had you and I had hunted the weekend before. Uh we had we had a good hunt. I felt like I was shooting real good, and then got out to the rice, and I'm starting to think it's something about being a pit blind because I went right back to square one. Like we're I'm 15, almost 20 hunts into the season, and it was my first time in a pit all year, and I struggled. We ended up getting probably I think we ended up with like 10 or 11 birds. Easily could have had our two-man limit. It was just it was a matter of me not hitting birds. But they were there. The guys went out the next day on Sunday, and I know it was a little bit slower. The blind looks good though. It's definitely the best blind I've been a part of. It's my we got a lot of decoys out there. The guys have spent a lot of time moving things around, and I actually like it's it's set up in a way I've never set a rice blind up. I've I usually kind of throw my decoys up in I don't want to say the shape, but whatever my goal is, whether it's a big old V or I'm doing a J. But they've like went through all the decoys after I had set them up, put them in in good little family groups and all this stuff. And this is a north-south check, so it definitely has its challenges, and they set it up in a pretty cool way. That it looks good, it hunts well, but I just gotta I gotta get some more hunts in the in the pit just to kind of get used to swinging a full 360 basically to hunt.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I was gonna say, man, for some reason that's always kind of been your Achilles right there, is like, you know, you're dead, you know, Johnny hit everything in in the marsh, like standing in Thulies, and that's always kind of been my complaint, popping out of a marsh stand, and all of a sudden you got one foot stuck in the mud and you can't pivot, can't swing. But you know, when we hunted together a c a couple weeks ago in those Thulies, uh I know you were Johnny on it, you know, and uh but it's funny, you go to you go to a pit and you get some solid footing under you, and it it all goes away.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Well, I say that, and then I, you know, there was a good wind on Wednesday this week, and I think, you know, any duck hunter who was able to take time off was trying to hunt it, whether it was up in the rice or up north. And it was about 10 o'clock at night, and I was on the phone still trying to decide where to go. Yeah. And I decided to go up north, and one of the main reasons was is because I knew I wouldn't be in a pit then. And I mean, I had a great hunt. I had I hunted for about an hour and a half, got my birds, I tripled on Gadwall to end the day, and I was like, gee, this is crazy. I mean, I was I've never had a good, clean triple like that, but even then to go from a hunt where I wasn't shooting very good, couldn't even probably scratch my limit out, or I didn't scratch my limit out to the next hunt, standing in the Tullies, actually using the Thulees as a recliner, popping up and you know, tripling on a Gadwall to call it. I'm like, this is the roller coaster of the season continues.
SPEAKER_00:So that's up in the you're you're talking about the northeastern zone, obviously, right? So what what's the temperature been like up there? Like you know, what was it?
SPEAKER_01:So that was one of the reasons I decided to go up because northeastern closes, I'll say in three weeks, I think. Um, and normally at this point, I I don't go up a whole lot because I'm at I have rice flies or I'm hunting reverenges and it's all iced over. And if you can hunt the ice, I mean any duck hunter knows, like if you have a way to get open water when it's frozen, you're gonna get great duck hunting. Yeah. I just don't have those tools. I know guys run what are they called? Ice eaters. I don't even know how they work. That's just I'm I'm not a a wit, it's California hunting. There's only a few spots that freeze over, so I don't invest in any of that. But now this year it's only how's up there, it was like 55 degrees or 45 degrees in the afternoon. So that's warm.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I was sweating coming back to my truck. Like I I had my limit and uh I was I was sweating.
SPEAKER_00:So what's the what's I know we talked on I think it Wednesday afternoon we talked after the hunt, right? And you I know you ran into a couple hunters up there, but what's the pressure like, you know, where where you're going, or just kind of across the zone, or a lot of folks heading down to balance of the state, the Sack Valley, or is there still guys that will it's just it's it's tough to get on, tough to get your spots?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so Wednesday was busy, I think I mentioned. I mean, that was the most I've ever seen out there. I w we'll touch on that a little bit later when we're going over the naughty and nice portion. But there was a lot of guys up there, and that's fine. I'm I'm okay with that because it's such a big ref. I mean, it's a big refuge, so if it's a good weather day, you want those birds to kind of get moved around a little bit versus just getting shot at and then moving to a part of the refuge that has no people on it, and then they're gonna sit there for the rest of the day. So it worked out good. But normally it's it's been low pressure, the numbers have kind of dropped off. It seems like a lot of the birds are moving around to some of the private places up there. There's a lot of rice, wild rice and things, and it sounds like if you have access to it, there's not a lot of rice finds up there, but guys will hunt the rice. It seems like they're having a lot of luck, but it's just kind of been middle of the road, similar to everyone else.
SPEAKER_00:So I know we talked about this, I think, on like the first or maybe the first episode, but doing like hunting trips and stuff. And I know that Pete obviously, one of the things like when you he likes the private club and the private opportunities because he knows exactly where he's going, where he's staying, what the hunt's gonna be, all that different stuff. And it's really like not there's not like those variables that are out there, like you know, not not to you know put you on blast feet, but yeah, I know you prefer to hunt more out of a blind than you would go into like free roam or you know, tuck into the Tullies or the Marsh or whatever. So what I and Kane, we've talked about this, is I think it'd be cool for us to do like a hunting trip up there do to the northeastern, you know, next season, you know, just maybe do a guided hunt of something, get Pete up there, get it, get a few other guys.
SPEAKER_01:There's a couple guides up there, and I don't I don't know anyone who's personally who's done one, but I've talked I think it'd be cool because you can get out there, get after some ducks early season, maybe a couple you have the two birth, two honker limits, you can get two gears. Sure. I think it'd be a blast, and you know, talk to the guy, be like, hey, we're open to you. Where do you want to go? Like, do we should we go all the way up towards the border? Do we go out towards you know the true northeastern, whatever it is? I think it'd be fun.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So Pete, I'll start with you. I know you mentioned you know you're hoping to get back out and stuff, but you know, do you have anything on the books as far as like any hunt hunts coming up? Like, have you talked to Clay at all? Like, I know he it he'll pretty much get us out as much as he can. Uh, but you know, obviously, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I think that's not just after the office, but I think the weekend after the new year's probably gonna be like a Saturday Sunday. I think it's the third. It's a Saturday, and maybe the Sunday is a bowl of double editor, but I think it's just nice. A little slow for that. Did you put it for draws this year? I did not. Uh-uh. Dude, I know. You guys were talking about get my draws, and now we're going to go.
SPEAKER_01:Send me your uh credit card info and but log in.
SPEAKER_00:Hey, that's hey, that's all right, but that's also why not that not that like we're against, like, we would invite you if we had an opportunity, but that's why, you know, it's that pecking order, right? So uh we talked about that.
SPEAKER_02:I think we'll put that on. I've I've been following since episode one. You what you put in and you know, it's what you get out of it, and that's one of the uh the codes of conduct that yeah, if you're not putting in for draws and your last time.
SPEAKER_01:I have a buddy at work. I have a buddy at work, and I mean he's a super good dude, good friend of mine, and he wants to get into duck hunting, and I'm all for it. And this is kind of that balance of where we talk about like trying to be welcoming to new hunters and stuff, but on the flip side, like I don't the only people I really I mean, I'll teach someone to hunt, but I'm really gonna teach my kids. Like, those are the kids I'm gonna hold my hand through the process. Yeah, like if you're a grown adult wanting to get into it, you kind of gotta go out and do some stuff. You gotta put in for draws. Instead of just asking me every you know Tuesday or Wednesday, hey, can we hunt Friday or Saturday? I'm like, dude, I got I have a long list of people that I hunt with for years. You know, if there's a spot, I'm absolutely gonna bring a new hunter. But that's why I always tell people if you want to get out, like if Pete all of a sudden wants to get back into it, he knows what to do. He's gonna put in for his draws. We'll all start going out together again if it just works out like that.
SPEAKER_02:And you guys know this, I'm pretty lucky. So when I get when I'm gonna do it. I know that's why I'm kind of pushing in. I mean, it was the one guy, I think it was maybe God, my I used to fifth year hunting. I think I got the number one at two at Dry Creek. Remember that year? I know we didn't shoot.
SPEAKER_00:No I don't think we rate. No, it's no, you it wasn't no, it wasn't number one.
unknown:Oh, it was cop five.
SPEAKER_00:I don't we know terrible. No, it it it it wasn't no, 'cause it was I I honestly I mean we can go back and forth. I honestly think it was ten because those main blinds weren't available, so
SPEAKER_03:Oh, that's right.
SPEAKER_00:So w not saying where we're the drought.
SPEAKER_03:It was drought time.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, not not saying where we went, but yeah, we we totally messed up that reszi. So but that that was or that was early. That was early in the our hunting career, if you will. Cause yeah, it just yeah, it was a it was a basically a wasted reszi.
SPEAKER_01:But it's something to be said though about like an um Little Dry Creek's that holy grail, but in reality you need the holy grail of holy grails, which is like a top, you know, three to top five rezi to kind of really do well, unless you know the free room there, which I'm I haven't hunted the free room out there. And it's interesting though, because you talk to some of these like the guys who've got millions of dollars in their clubs and stuff, and they do similar to how your buddy does, they do a draw in the morning. That club has one or two really good shooters that always produce, yeah, and then after that it starts trickling off. And so you take little dry creek as you know the crown one of the crown jewel uh resie draws, and it's the same thing. There's like you know, a few really good shooters, and after that, it starts trickling off, and then it's just all about making the best of opportunities.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. So Caitlin, what do you have coming up? Yeah, you're just gonna hunt hunt.
SPEAKER_01:I don't know. We'll see. Not bad guys, Caden.
SPEAKER_02:Come on, man.
SPEAKER_01:I know the guys are up there today, they're not doing well, but we gotta I don't know. I could go up no I don't know. I don't go with the rice. I've spent a bunch of money on the rice and I've been out there only a couple times, so we'll see.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so I'm not hunting. I'm actually down in Southern California in beautiful sunny San Diego for the holiday, so I won't be hunting. I actually put in for a couple spots down here, didn't get any draws at Worcester or San Jacinto. And it's funny, I actually got an invite to hunt Worcester on Christ on Wednesday, Christmas Eve, and unfortunately I'm not gonna be able to make it. I actually texted uh one of our listeners, actually it was Colin, he was on our season check-in episode a few episodes ago, and he invited me out there, and I honestly I tried to make it work, but even from where I'm at, it's still like a two and a half hour drive. I didn't realize how far in the middle of nowhere that is out there. So yeah, so I was like, oh, I'm right here in San Diego, maybe it's like a 40-minute drive or something. I can go and yeah, so it's it's unfortunately not gonna work out, but I told him maybe we can get together for like you know, dove season or something down here, because I know that's pretty popular. But yeah, so I got an invite coming up the Sunday, next Sunday when I get back to town. So, you know, we'll we'll see if maybe uh that's over at YOLO. And I was actually gonna text you, Pete, off the side. I won't I won't put out who has the resie today, but it's one of our mutual friends, so maybe I'll uh maybe you can reach out to him or something.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I was gonna say too, I do got just a chime in real quick. I got a buddy, a good high school buddy, Corey Tubart doesn't have a listener too. He's got a club.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, he's a grasslands guy too.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, grasslands area that he's a club and we were chatting last week when we were hunting, and they're they're kind of still looking for birds and waiting for things to shake up. But I got my guy out with get up hot with him as well, too.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, the birds were definitely down there for sure. We didn't get any pintail, the pintail were circling high and everything, but no, it I mean, they're out there, so and it's good that this fog's finally breaking, but I know now it's supposed to be just pissing rain up up back home and up by you guys for what the next like seven days.
SPEAKER_01:So the sink looks like it'll be flooding by I think Monday. So you're gonna have a lot of water. The colours to wear is gonna crest, I think, tomorrow, and then after that, usually all those clubs start flooding up. So that'll be interesting what it does to the birds.
SPEAKER_00:So I know your well to say your cousin's property. I know the one, his the one, the original one that I've been to, that one will not be huntable if things flood up, correct? So that's what I was gonna be huntable by like a mud boat. So that's what I was gonna ask. So his new property that also will will go offline.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so it gets to be about 10-15 feet deep and the blinds go underwater. It's it's crazy down there. Yeah. Um, but uh it is, it's it'll be fine. I mean, he'll do fine. It's just interesting. It's for me last year, the rice, once that area flooded up, it my my blind shut down. I'm in a different area right now, obviously. With so I'm curious about because that I only hunted my rice a few times in January last year because we had so much water.
SPEAKER_00:Wait, why did wait, why did your blind shut down last year? Like the blind flooded out or the access? Because I remember the roads get bad.
SPEAKER_01:No, it was there was just no no you wouldn't shoot any birds. And I talked to a lot of the guys who've been hunting there for the past 10-15 years, and they said anytime the clue wear was flooding over, yeah, that it something with that property, birds just weren't there.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So I don't know if that's just the you know, these guys that had hunted it for 15 plus years, and that you know, I kind of trusted that I've got to know them pretty well.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:But now I'm on the other side of the river now, so who knows? We'll see.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no, it's yeah, it's interesting, and and going back to your cousins that new property and everything. I think it was opening weekend when I just did a drive-by over there and kind of went down, I guess, near the bypass there and everything, and you're like, damn, I am in a flood paint uh plane here. Yeah, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Anything that's built has to be built up on the left, similar to like slew houses up on, you know, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so well, cool. Well, uh, what do you say? I like I said, it's it's the week of Christmas. Let's let's jump into some kind of fun things that I figure we can chat about real quick. Or you know, this section here, this one's always kind of fun, and you know, I just put this out here just in case, you know. I've already told uh the wife, you know, hey, if you're looking to get me something, you know, here's some small things that you know you could always do. But for any of the uh listeners out there that are maybe looking for some ideas for what to ask for, or what, you know, maybe you're looking to you know get a last-minute gift or something. I'm gonna kind of put these in order of some things I found online here. So I think every hunter could always use a do we never have enough Yeti mugs and tumblers, right? So I found this one on there. Yeah, I found this one on there. You know, you can get a personalized one, that's always fun. You know, you can put your name on it, or you can uh, you know, I've seen some with you know ducks, geese, you can put a pintail on it. It's pretty cool. So yeah, you can never have enough of those. This one was interesting when I saw it online, like basically game calls, like duck or goose calls. And honestly, this one here I said I would probably stick away from that one just because I can't do it for the kids. Yeah, well, I was gonna say you can get it for the kid, especially, you know, like with your boys and stuff. I think that this is a perfect time to get them, you know. Doesn't have to be a crazy hundred, two hundred dollar call, but you know, go get them something off the rack and just let them garner, double nasty, yeah, have some fun out in the out in the property at your house. But I was thinking, you know, like yeah, put up get a little whistle there and a little stocking stuff for because I mean I feel like those, it doesn't matter what you get, like it doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_01:I feel like I'd be like Pete giving my kids a drum set though. If like someone else came and was like, hey, look, I got your kids two duck calls, and then just like I will say, can I chime in on the goose call?
SPEAKER_02:Did you guys hear Gary Busey's goose call this week? If we're uh you uh Gary Busey's social media fans? I did actually see that. I think I said it out. Hopefully, your listeners are a fan and and know the great Gary Busey from uh Rookie of the Year and some of his uh his his movies back in the day, but he's a little beat up these days, but he does He is a little beat up. My good, but it's it's good entertainment. But he's a good one. When I watched that video, I actually had to look at it and I was like, is that a guy who looks like Gary Bucy or is that Gary Busey? And now they're just running wild with it with all kinds of other attachments and memes, but it's pretty funny.
SPEAKER_00:So so uh we're all like I I think Caitlin Caton is as well, but one thing like when Pete and I get together, everyone gets super annoyed because huge movie buffs, we're always quoting movies and whatnot. Caitlin's normally on top of it too. So I would say you mentioned Gary Busey as uh what the rocket and rookie of the year. Yeah, you know what my favorite kind of Gary Busey role is?
SPEAKER_02:Black sheep.
SPEAKER_00:I was gonna say, yeah, Sergeant Savage.
SPEAKER_02:Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. That those movie. Yeah, I I'll have to maybe try to find a clip and put it on Instagram, that scene with David Spade in the when it at the car.
SPEAKER_02:So it's it's yeah, or the or the wrestling match with uh Chris Farley. Yeah, which is all that right by the RV.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. You know, this one was kind of cool, and actually Pete just got one at the uh CWA dinner. So how about a new how about a new blind a new blind bag, right?
SPEAKER_02:I I did get a new one. Did I give it to you? Or did I win one? Oh, I did get it. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, but you didn't give it to me.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, Pete got uh tangle-free blind bag. Yeah, I won a blind bag and I uh you gave me the you gave me the uh floating gun case.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I gave it to you. Yeah, I need one of those. Yeah. A pair of socks, the knife. I mean, yeah, I don't think it was worth the few hundred bucks I donated for raffle tickets, but hey, it's always always a good cause, and it's always always fun to get out to at least one or two of those every year.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I feel like and and we mentioned this in the first episode. I'm always like a fan of the newest and latest and all that stuff. And and I've seen some guys that have had blind bags for 20 years, right? But I don't know, I feel like every few seasons I find like see something, see someone with a new setup, and I'm like, oh, or my hunting styles change. So I've gone from you know the shoulder sling kind of floating bag from Drake or Tangle-free to you know, now I'm running a backpack, and you know, there's definitely options out there, but I mention that because you know, those 20-year, 10-year, you know, blind bags, they get the job done, but I feel like those guys won't go buy themselves a new blind bag. So maybe if you're thinking about a good present for a good buddy or once again, like you know, the spouse or something, uh surprise the hunter with the new blind bag, they might appreciate that. So decoys is decoys is always a fun one. You know, I know some folks, especially if you're not into hunting and you're you know, you know that who you're trying to buy a gift for, you know, maybe it's your old man or you know, whoever it is, you know, it's tough to get, you know, decoys are interesting because you know, you can get decoys pretty cheap, but most times those end up being kind of filler decoys. I won't say the brand, but one of the things that I won at one of those dinners was a six-pack of decoys. And I one, I don't have a need for those right now, and they're not really the ones that we would use in our group, Caton. So I threw them in the storage, and you know, I figure next season. Yeah, we'll just throw them out, yeah, throw them out in a blind or something. But uh, but yeah, I was gonna say I put on here like you know, a robo duck, like a mojo or a pulsator or something like that. That's always a good gift.
SPEAKER_01:So I tell you about the new mojo I want to get.
SPEAKER_00:Let's hear it.
SPEAKER_01:Um so they have obviously, I mean, if it's mojo made, it's not there's no secret to it. But they have had the splashers, Higden makes them, ycky duck, all this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They now make the mojo mallard machine, and I finally hunted with one, a buddy of mine. Pretty cool. You need deep water, it wouldn't work in a lot of scenarios because it's it's a pretty tall decoy, and underneath it's probably six, seven inches. But it basically is running a propeller that spins in reverse, so when it goes, it just boils the water up. Pretty so if my wife's listening to this, I'd love one because if I spend another$210 on a decoy, she might kill me. But I think it'd be if you got an opportunity, or if you're shunting like a small spread and going light, or it's a heavy decoy, so you'd have to go light because there's no or I guess bring a big old Marsh cart out. Uh but it was a it was a great little yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um I'm checking it out on YouTube right now, and I actually like it. And I know I feel like all these companies they put their best promo video forward, but one thing I uh Mojo is like the pioneer when it comes to all this stuff, right? They make it first, it feels like, and then everyone else kind of follows, so they're definitely on to on to stuff. But it was those like ripplers or whatever that they came out with a few years ago, and they you put the double A batteries in, and it's just like a weight inside that spins it and they cause ripples. It just didn't do that, you know. It it wasn't enough to be yeah, like you see it happening. Like 40 of them. Yeah, exactly. And I used to run a handful of them, but this Mallory machine you're talking about, this thing actually looks like the real deal here. So, and how much do they uh let's see like 200 bucks though? Let's see.
SPEAKER_01:Because I run a lot of I run a lot of butt splashers. I mean, I was a big jerk string guy, I still am, but just honestly, with the the logistics of me learning how to run a dog and a jerk string, it's I was like, you know, I'm gonna invest in splashers. I there's nothing better than a jerk string, I will stand by that. But yeah, the the mallard machine, that's okay. That's on my Christmas Christ Christmas wish list.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I'm looking, I'm looking at it right now. It's uh anywhere from 190 to 200 bucks at Bass Pro or Cabela's or Max. You know, going back to Pete and I hunting together back in the day, what was great about it was if you know we're talking about this mallard machine, and if I'm like, hey, this is something I want, we split the cost on everything, it was great, and I would just give him a shout, be like, hey Pete, man, for this season, man, I think we should run this mallard machine. It's 200 bucks. He's like, sounds good, let's do it, right? So it's a hundred bucks, and you know, he would get the benefits of it for sure.
SPEAKER_02:But yeah, I was always I was always quick on those uh requests. Yeah. So now I want all that back though, because now I'm not a big hut-nump kid. We're all we're all out of it.
SPEAKER_00:I dove into it and yeah, no, it's uh, but no, it's been it's been good. So yeah, so let's see. We left off with decoys. Where what's the last one, Kate? What do we got here? It was a jacket. Yeah, I put on there.
SPEAKER_01:If you got a family member who lives out of state, maybe they can get us some gore-techs and smuggle it in over the border.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Not to get political, but I'm glad that we're not allowed to have gore-techs in California. So I'm not a good buddy about we got a good Gore-Tex door. You're gonna be able to do that. I used to be worried about smuggling shells from you know, Bass Pro across the state line, but now you smuggled me a Gore-Tex jacket.
SPEAKER_02:Wasn't it the Gore-Tex, the boots? What was it? The the boots or something that he uh our buddy Matt wore out that one time.
SPEAKER_00:Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You're talking no, you're you're you're lost. No, you're talking about like stocking waiters and stuff. No. No, the gore, no, the no.
SPEAKER_02:So you took forever to get ready out there that day. Oh, that was hilarious. Still one of my favorite hunts with old Stony.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. You know what, Caden, we talked about it, I think it was in the What's in the Blind Bag episode, and I was talking about like me wanting to get like the shell bag and like a hoodie from Kent and everything, but they wouldn't ship it out here because I had to go to an FFL and stuff. So, God, maybe six months ago or whatever, I'm on Sitka, right? And I'm like, let me, I was trying to order something, and sure enough, place it in the cart, you have the promo code, all that stuff, get to check out, not available for shipping to California or New York. I'm like, what the hell? You know, so I didn't really know too much about this, you know. I didn't, you know, I I bought all my sitka stuff. Yeah, I bought all my sitka stuff a while ago, and and when you dive into it, uh it's just like like we're not gonna get political, but it's like, are you kidding me? So so to your point, you know, you know, if it if if it if it yeah, I was gonna say if if any of the listeners are uh coming, you know, to Northern Cal from you know Nevada or something, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I'd love a duck oven.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly, exactly. So but no, I think that that's actually a great gift right there, you know, the duck oven jacket or you know, waiter jacket. I was looking online earlier today and waiters are on 20% off.
SPEAKER_01:Uh maybe not.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and I was a lie. Well, and I don't have any of their stuff, but I'll tell you what, this looks like a pretty cool little jacket from from Shangir, Shingeir, you know, they had a pretty cool little raincoat. But I I don't need anything because like I said, I think I have the best one out there. That's that Sitka Delta Wading jacket. And I only I mean, how often do you need to wear your rain shell? I mean, the next few next week or so you probably need it, but um, I feel like I only wear that maybe uh I don't know, handful of hunts a season. So I wore mine on Wednesday and I was putting my ass off in it. Anything else uh you you guys can think of? Some good gift ideas out there before?
SPEAKER_01:Uh I would say the I got it my is what I gave my mother-in-law like four years ago. That those Havalon knives, or I got the Amazon one recently. That's a good gift, yeah. Yeah, just because it's just nice to well, I'm so cheap. I I had my Havalon blade, it's got replaceable blades in for like six years. I just didn't replace the blade. And then I lost the knife and had four brand new blades never used, so definitely switch those blades out. But a good little gift. I mean, what 50-60 bucks? You can get a nice little knife to breast out your ducks or whatever you gotta do. That's a good call. It's good for big game and stuff, but obviously we're talking waterfowl here.
SPEAKER_00:No, that's a great call. What do you think, Pete?
SPEAKER_02:You got you got anything that would I thought it would make the top five, but I I know it's the the more price you're at it, but a new gun? Oh yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:I know people aren't just showing out, you know, uh, have you seen that video something around?
SPEAKER_01:Like just talking about like dads, and probably because I've watched it says, like, if I I don't want anything for Christmas because if I if I want it, I'd already have it. And if I and if I don't have it, it's because we can't afford it. I've been telling people that for years.
SPEAKER_02:I've been telling people that for years. I'm like, Pete, you need it. You want what do you want for Christmas? I'm like, I got everything I need, you know. Yeah, I buy I supply myself, but yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, a new gun would always be cool, especially for the kids. Get them you know, it's a good time to get them a gun, take them out to go shooting on Christmas morning, go do some trap or something. That'd actually be a good idea for obviously that windows closed this year because of the old 10-day waiting period, but so um yeah, I did a BB gun.
SPEAKER_00:I don't I don't have I mean, obviously I have I always have a couple guns on the short list that you know, hey, if I'm gonna go, you know, run to the the gun shop and uh you know things I want to get, but I have nothing like that I'm chomping at the bit for this year, right? I mean I talked a little bit about the 28 gauge, but that was more gonna be a gift for my son. I got a obviously uh a while till till that comes. But uh, you know, it's funny is obviously week of Christmas, so I feel like the family and friends, you know, or whatever not friends, because obviously we don't get each other gifts, but family, you know, they gift cards, you know, you get a ton of gift cards to like Cabela's or Bass Pro and all this, and or sportsmen's and and I kind of tell them, hey, just do like sportsmen's, you know, so that way it there's one by the house. And and my birthday is January 3rd. Caton's is the fourth? Fourth? I get that right. Yeah. And so I end up getting gift cards, and then my wife, sh if she knows I want a gun, she'll kind of be like, Hey, how much is that gun or whatever? And a couple years ago she just got a gift card for the balance of whatever for my birthday. So she's like, I just don't want to hear you talking about this anymore. So that's always been kind of cool. Where to your point, it's like I still got to go buy it myself, but yeah. So I put this on here because Pete mentioned a gun. So let's talk about our Christmas wish list. So you know, let's say if you were in the market for a new gun this year, which Caden, I think you are. Let's start with you, Pete. We'll go with you. What shotgun are you asking Santa for this year? Whether you need one or don't, or if you're good with the one you have or whatever, but what what what tell the listeners what you're shooting.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, well, I shoot ever since I got into hunting about 10 years ago. I just shoot the old 870 Remy pump, and I love that. And even talking to even hunters these days, sometimes those hunters will go out there and shoot a pump just because it's a little bit, I don't want to say, harder for them, but just something different, you know, instead of shooting their automatic. But I guess if I did, I I mean, just brand-wise, probably uh a Benelli uh of some sort. I'd probably reach out to you guys, you know.
SPEAKER_00:That's funny to hear him.
SPEAKER_02:That's funny one again.
SPEAKER_00:It's funny to hear him say that because I always thought he was into like I didn't know he was into like the Italian models. I think he liked those Turkish post Soviet brands.
SPEAKER_02:I did win that shotgun at that, yeah, that duck dinner uh last year. Yeah. Yeah, he he was home defense. Yeah, he did private property shoot that thing.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, I t I I I we'll tell that story real quick. Okay, we were at a we were at another dinner and I think Kate and you were there too. Oh yeah, it was. Yeah, it was. Yeah, it was CWA the Placer dinner year before last. And Pete won like this sawed off home defense tactical gun and cool cool gun.
SPEAKER_03:I mean walnut stock, it's nice.
SPEAKER_00:No, I don't want to I don't want to knock it too much, but I mean like your guns. Yeah, but you also don't need that, you know, especially I'm not gonna say like where you live, but like, you know, obviously you have you have a great spot, but I love saying I'm like, man, so you walk into your front door to that thing in.
SPEAKER_02:You knew if your neighbors were back if somebody tried to knock on my door and go after my bulldog Molly, my son's other.
SPEAKER_00:All right, look, and I think I've got that right in their face. I'm gonna tell the story, and then if you want, I can cut it out, but uh maybe we'll leave it. So I've been telling people, and I think I even told you, Pete, I said, you don't need that gun at your place. You live in a you live in a condo, it's it's a cool spot, but you have people to your left, your right, above you, and across the hall. And I said, unless the person comes in your slide because you're on the ground floor, unless the person's coming in your ground through trying to break in through your slider, okay, now that's an option. But you better make sure that you take out that person trying to break in because if for whatever reason it's midnight and you're half asleep and you accidentally miss, what is out that window? You got the laundry room 20 yards away. So I said, dude, Pete, you do not need that at your house.
SPEAKER_03:I always need it though.
SPEAKER_00:I no, I know I get that, but what did we tell him, Caden? We said, and I went with you to the gun shop and I said, Hey, take the value of this gun and put it towards a duck gun that you want, but you I you liked it, and so you yeah, no, it's all good. So, no, I thought that was pretty funny. So, yeah, man. I I think Pete would be good with like if you wanted a semi-auto, if he wants to go to the Benelli route, get him like a Frankie or something, you know, doesn't have to my buddy Clay let me shoot his gun uh when we were out there last weekend. And yeah, he's got the the new beretta, right? The A400, yeah. He shoots an B word, the other B word when it comes to the Yeah, he yeah, he shoots and he got a brand new, but he shoots an well, I think he's had one for a while, but he's got a new one, that A400. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Maybe not this year, but next year. I'll I I think I'll probably get something next year and maybe dive in a little bit more hunting now. They got you know a new weapon. But but like my old man used to say, it's never the arrow, it's always the Indian.
SPEAKER_00:Sure.
SPEAKER_02:When it comes to hunting and golf.
SPEAKER_00:So so Caiton, you know, you're buying, so are you have you sold have you made a decision on the SBE or the A400? Or or if Santa's coming down that chimney and he can bring you anything you want, is there like a third gun where it's like, hey, I'm not spending my money on that, but Santa brings it down. Or are you just are you good with those two that we talked about?
SPEAKER_01:I'm still good with those two. I I've debated, I've really been enjoying shooting this 20 gauge. I haven't shot my 12 gauge once this year. I did get it fixed at the at the gunsmiths, or I just had to get it basically the whole stock re- the springs replaced because it got all rusted out. But I've been shooting my Franki Affinity 20 gauge and I enjoy it. I've I think I would go Beretta A400, but I'm almost debated going A400 in a 20 gauge again. Uh it's just been nice just shooting these 20 gauges. They're they're light to carry out in the refuge, they're quick to swing, there's no kick. And at the end of the day, you know, when you're shooting a 20 versus a 12, the only difference, I mean, the the pellets are coming out of the gun at the same speed when you shoot shell to shell. Right. It's just the amount of the amount of BBs or amount of pellets that are coming out of there. And I've been, you know, short of sitting in my rice pit, I've been shooting well. I've been liking the 20 gauge. So I don't know. If in a perfect world, I guess I'd get a 12 gauge A400.
SPEAKER_00:Um so that's what I was gonna say, is like, you know, obviously I know your old 12 gauge, it's good. It's made by brown, it's not a browning, but it's a Winchester. It's a win, it's an old Winchester SX4. And it it it's good, it it gets the job done, but I would almost think like maybe you do a higher end 12 gauge before you replace your 20 that you're obviously enjoying shooting right now. Because you don't want to go get a 20 gauge, you know, a a Beretta or brown Benelli 20 gauge only to put your Frankie on the shelf, you know.
SPEAKER_01:My only thought, you're right. No, my only thought is if I want to have two guns, a 20 and a 12, I need to get them to be the same. Yeah. And I know I'm not buying another Frankie 12 gauge or a Frankie 12, not for no particular reason. So it's like, all right, well, if I buy the the Beretta, then I'm going back to a different feel gun. And then it's like, well, maybe then I you know, as the kids get older, maybe I get another beretta and I buy the Beretta 20 gauge and I give the Frankie to them.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and you could always leave, you know, have uh, you know, maybe leave one at duck camp or leave one at you know your cousin's spot. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01:So not to always tote it around. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, we'll see.
SPEAKER_00:Right on. Well, I said what's on mine. Uh I you know, I got what, a handful of 12 gauges. I think I have a couple 20, and I just think it'd be cool to get like a 28 gauge. And so I obviously have my eyes on that SB3 and the the 28 gauge. I've never shot a 410, so I don't know. I mean, it's funny you've never shot a 410. I would never I don't want to say never. I don't think there's much use for me out in the field, but you hear some stories of some clubs. I don't know if any if they're in the Buttes or you know, you hear some places where like that that's the sub gauge. Like normally their big guns are the 28s, you know. But yeah. Well, here's kind of a fun one, and we'll go quick because I know we're uh running longer than I I told you guys we probably would today. So so money no object, what is on and outside of shotguns, right? Money no object or Santa'll bring you whatever you want. What is on your hunting wish list? What you want to go first, Pete?
SPEAKER_02:I don't know. Uh well I'll gotta be able to do that.
SPEAKER_00:No, well, no, no, let's do let's do this. Let's no well, let's do this because Pete, we said like you hunt a handful of times a year, so hey, it could be uh it could be anything, you know, like mine's mine's crazy, and I probably won't get it for years, but I'll go first. I think I see some of those like mud buddy or gator tail boats that are ripping around and stuff, and I'm and I'm only like twenty you know twenty minutes from the Sack River, and you know, I mean those things obviously have some use during duck season, but you also see some folks out running running the river and running different places, you know, during the summer and stuff. So I think that'd be pretty cool, but that that's what's on mind. That's a obviously crazy high this end of the spectrum type thing, you know. But what do you what do you think, Kate? And I'll go to you.
SPEAKER_01:Well, for me, money, I mean, money no object, I would go. I do have uh an older mud buddy, and I need to get that thing, you know, out hunting again, but I haven't. So I'm gonna go if I go money no object. I'm not I might be cheating here, but I would say it'd be cool to buy into some sort of some club.
SPEAKER_00:I was gonna say you can't do that, but yeah, that was gonna say, yeah, you can, you can, but I didn't think so.
SPEAKER_01:All right, fine, let me back it up. I'll say that's that's awesome. I would say for a high call. I well, I was thinking you would go down to you know your buddy's spot. Yeah. That's actually a reasonable buy-in. Yeah. Yeah. Up here it's a little bit more unreasonable. So maybe what I would say is like, you know, you hear those blinds, and I know of like one that was available, and they're like six, seven, eight grand a hole. Yeah. And it'd be, you know, short of being, you know, the multimillionaire able to buy into you know any one of the ViewSync clubs, like it would be cool just to be able to be able to afford one of those leases because you hear they're shooting eight, nine hundred birds a year. And I mean, I think my blind last year only had eight, nine hundred birds fly over it. So it'd be cool, I guess, to be part of one of those clubs, just to be like, all right, let's get out there and bang the birds, get back by you know nine o'clock and have breakfast as a crew. That'd be cool. But on the flip side, like I like where I'm at. Yeah, I'll say shooting in a pit blind, I probably couldn't hit them anyways.
SPEAKER_00:I'll say, and we've had conversations in our house about it, like uh not that it's off the off the table, but to buy into one of those clubs that you know you have the cabin on site or a place to stay is maybe in our future one day. But I'll tell you what, what's really cool about that is the opportunities of you mentioned have breakfast, hang out, because the breakfast is cool, but honestly, like when we were down at our buddy's spot last weekend, it's cool like Pete and him finished up kind of kind of early, so they went and you know, got some stuff to grill for lunch, and we had lunch with a couple other members and just kind of hung out for an hour or so, and so that's a lot of fun, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and it'd be good to you know, as the kids get older, it's buffing them to run around, it's another good memory for them.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So sorry, dog fight back there. That that's exactly what's going on. The dogs are out back, and there's a neighbor dog here at my in-laws. That so, anyway, so let's let's um hopefully he's not a listener. Yeah, who cares? Control your dog.
SPEAKER_01:And so, anyways, I I know, yeah. We'll send them a link.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no, they're not fighting though. Um so so that's actually a good segue into naughty or nice because these pups are trying to make their way onto the naughty list. So uh let's go through a couple scenarios here, and you know, obviously, Kate and I know you'll have an opinion on it, but I'm curious to kind of hear what Pete's opinion is on this. You know, maybe he's experienced it before, or maybe he's seen it out there, but maybe we'll just go through a handful of these. And you know, if I was reading some of these and honestly, I'm like, damn, all these are like considered naughty, you know, but maybe there's a way to you know fix it and be on the nice list or something, so that way you're not getting that lump of coal or whatever for Christmas. So here's one. Let's start off with one that'll you know, maybe get some people, list some listeners having a conversation or whatever. So you guys ready? Okay, okay, all right, shooting birds that are clearly working another group spread. And I kind of put this more for a refuge. So let's set it. So uh sky blasting, sky busting, all that, and they're swinging and and they're working you see them circling another blind.
SPEAKER_01:I know that we're gonna try to birds swing wide.
SPEAKER_00:But I think that we're gonna hold off on that. So I'd say naughty.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Naughty.
SPEAKER_00:So now it's too often, but I mean what about they clearly I mean, they're swinging and they're they're they're working and everything, but they come, you know, we set our deeks, you know, 30, 35 yards out, and they come right over our deeks. We take one shot and knock it down. I mean, is that naughty still?
SPEAKER_01:Well, I mean, that you're talking if the birds are all of a sudden working your decoys, it's a completely different scenario.
SPEAKER_00:Well, they're swinging through, right? They're pa they're passing through.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, on a refuge, is all these all our listeners know like sometimes you're in a pond that's a little bit more crowded than you want. Yeah. So you just kind of gotta, you know, try to just take the most ethical shot. So if birds all morning are just giving you a single look and heading out, then maybe they're not really swinging birds, they're just kind of dinking and diving, and you just gotta take your opportunities as they come.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I think the refuge part, the frustrating thing is these birds are circling, they're working, and how many times they'll be working us, right? And it's not necessarily someone shooting at that b that flight, but all of a sudden someone two blinds over, three blinds over shoots, and then our birds are gone, right?
SPEAKER_01:So well, we've even had that when we were hunting two weekends ago. Like we're looking at birds, but I know there's I I I could see behind us where that other group was hunting, and I was like, Oh, they got birds working right there. But we kind of had an opportunity that was maybe we held off, I think, some of those times. Sometimes we took them, but because we all know what it's like to have a bird almost finish, and then you know, a hunter, no fault to his own, shoots, you know, a quarter mile away, knocks his bird down, but it all of a sudden flares your birds, and that's always a bummer.
SPEAKER_00:Let's do another refuge one. Moving in closer to another blind after that group's already set up. Or another.
SPEAKER_01:Sounds like great, that sounds like Grey Lodge, man. That sounds like a lot of free realm.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. No, that's a tough one because like specifically with Grey Lodge, it's nothing worse than like, and you know how I have like as soon as we get to our slot, I'm out there with like two flashlights. Not trying to, you know, play flashlight wars to let people know, hey, here I'm at. Like, I really don't care if someone sets up, but like there's nothing worse. And I I'll on the next one I'll talk about it. But when you're you're going out to a spot, you think you have it, and all of a sudden, like you're throwing decoys, and then then a guy turns his light on. You're like, dude, I wouldn't have set up here. Like, I feel it's pitch black out, dude. Can you keep your lights on until maybe you know 45 minutes before shoot light while we're all trying to filter and find a space?
SPEAKER_02:The old moving White House. I've seen that. I've seen Kate and pull that out there.
SPEAKER_00:So naughty.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So I think we've talked about it though. I think it was in the pet peeve one. There's obviously ways around it, right? Like, and and if you're maybe set up and it's like if I'm talking to the dude and he seems like a good dude or it's his first time out there or whatever, it's like, hey, you want to come hunt? Like, let's hunt together. You know what I mean? I'm already set up, you know, it is what it is, but yeah, I know that doesn't happen, and and you know, some folks just you know aren't comfortable with it.
SPEAKER_01:I'll tease into that on this next one we got coming up because I went I went up north, and is it basically the topic we're talking about now is gonna be showing up late and still kind of getting a good spot or showing up late and trying to squeeze in.
SPEAKER_00:Well, so so it's well, let's put it this way. So the the way it's written is showing up late and still expecting a good spot, right? So these people that are like they come running in, you know, let's say if like we're resi guys, right? And the lotto guys or the sweatline guys, you know, that are coming in after shoot light, right? And they know that they're going to their X, but hey, we happen to be maybe on the X or just shy of it, but they're still gonna set up, dude. I think that's definitely like on the naughty, naughty list.
SPEAKER_01:I don't sound weird saying naughty, but yeah, but I'll paint a picture is I you know I went to a type B and I showed up late with purposely. I intend I knew I was gonna show up 45 minutes before shoot light because I've hunted this place and I've only ever seen a a hunter one or two other times. And all of a sudden I pull up and the parking lot's full, and I was like, son of a bitch. And I rode my bike until my legs fell off. It took me, I remember I was about it was about 10 minutes before shoot light. I still hadn't found a spot because every pond I went to had people in it, and I'm like, I'm not gonna be the guy who shows up 45 minutes before shoot light and goes and just dumps in the nearest pond.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And I I mean I rode, I I did the old Onyx track, it was two and a half miles. It took me 45 minutes, and I it got to the point where I was like, well, I can't find a spot. I don't want to ruin anyone's hunt. And I set my stuff down and I was gonna I was gonna wait it out for 30 minutes for the sun to come up, missed the first light hunt.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And I ended up finding some water and it it was fine. It was a setup wrong and had to move, but it was exactly that because I just think I think the karma paid off because I had such a great hunt after that. But too often or not, you see guys come in, last guys on the sweat line or the or the lotto line, and they're like, Oh, free roam, let me just jump in here. They think they have they're like entitled to a good spot just because they made it on.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:At that time with Sack on the opener two years ago. I swear he came in last minute and just snuck.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're talking about the Sunday. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well, and we don't need to go into that again, but it's like you knew we were there, we didn't know you were there, but it's just like it it's it's a tragic accident waiting to happen. You know. But anyways, let's skip a couple of these, and I'm curious to get your your idea here, Caitlin, because you know, you you got your your pup rooster and everything, and rooster, I told you the other day or a couple weeks ago when we were hunting. He's on it right now, you know, and I I know you're you probably as his owner or handler have little things that you probably want to work on or or or polish or whatever, but I'll tell you what, I mean, what, this is second season? Third, second and a half, yeah, yeah. And he he's on it right now. But so this has nothing to do with rooster, but it's it's more just kind of bringing an untrained dog to the refuge, or even not to your private blind, but I feel like private, you know, you probably work that out with your blind mates and everything, your your partners, but bringing an untrained dog to the refuge, naughty or nice. And maybe you know, maybe working on training out there during a hunt. So that's probably say naughty.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's tough. I mean, I'd say it's tough. I mean, obviously, he gotta just be smart with it. Yeah. Eventually, like for me, I've told this, I haven't told it on here, but my first hunt with my dog ever, I took her out of look, let her let him out of the kennel, and he ran and ran, and I never saw him again. And uh luckily for me, I mean, I started running down levees asking hunters which way he went, which way he went. I'm sure he was being lit up by his e-collar. It was a terrible situation all around. But luckily, some nice hunters were able to kind of catch him, probably a mile and a half away, and they walked him back to me. So I'm gonna say naughty, but at the end of the day, like it was my first time running a dog, it was my first time at the refuge with my own dog by myself. It all went to shit. So maybe cut some guys some slack. Yeah. Like they it wasn't, it wasn't intentional, you know.
SPEAKER_00:So let's do another dog one. Yelling at your dog loud enough for the next unit or next blind to hear.
SPEAKER_01:In the blind, that's the I'm gonna say naughty, but once the if a bird's down, I think it's fair game. I think, you know, like if you're especially if your dog has got hand signals and you're saying back or over, yeah, like you're gonna have to yell at your dog while they're out in the field.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and I'm not sure if that was more about like, yes, people's calling back or over doing the voice commands. I think it's more like you kind of see, like, oh, then all of a sudden, you know, the handler's out in the blind, and you know, sometimes we see it where it's like, man, while they're out, you some of these blinds are stacked on top of each other, especially at some refuges, and it's like, dude, grab your dog or whatever, you know, get an eco.
SPEAKER_01:You know, and like I said, again with my like he's been lights on, but I and I he's been sent off to a trainer, not the uh not the one Chuck used as another reputable trainer. And he has one he has a couple bad habits, but one that even the trainer really didn't know how to break or didn't break was he bark those first few birds. If he's swimming, if he's not running to the bird, he's barking. So he'll bark on the retrieve. And I know I'm probably famous to some listeners out there, they probably see me like, but there's no way I can really I guess I could light my dog up and bring him back, but at the end of the day, after I've shot the bird, I do let him go get the bird, and he's just so damn wound up and excited. Like he's gonna he kind of like chuffs at it on the whole way out.
SPEAKER_00:And it is loud, but so I know you're busy with work and you're hunting and all that stuff, and obviously you got three boys and all that. So I don't I know you listen to the episodes when you can, but did you I asked about that, you know, you mentioned it just now. I asked about it at the end, and I forget what his response was, but yeah, check out the end of the episode because I I did ask about that specifically. So okay. So let's let's get Pete's opinion on a couple of these because I think he could chime in. All right. Overloading the blind with unnecessary junk. And I don't know what that would pertain to, but I feel like you hop in I feel like you hop in some private blinds, and I don't want to say unnecessary, but sometimes people set up there for the season. And I don't know. If it's not that big, I don't think you need the Coleman camp stove in there or what I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:I'm always a fan of I'm always a fan of less is more out there. Yeah, I'm a big guy, an old college lineman, so I mean I've got my little lunch box or blind bat, whatever you call it. Yeah, and a gun and like I said, I you know, I I usually pack lights, so yeah. Not much stuff in my quarters.
SPEAKER_00:So not teasing, I'm I I'm asking an honest question. So I know we've been your last few hunts have been out of the barrels, right? Were you able to get down in those? I know you I know a lot a lot of the videos when you're hunkered down, I kind of s I see your your arms kind of up there and they're they're tight. Okay. All right, they're they're tight, you know. So are we going naughty on unnecessary junk or hey you're blind, you do you? What are we doing?
SPEAKER_02:You're blind, you do you.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. All right, nice list then.
SPEAKER_02:I will say this when we were out there with Clay, I know we brought it brought out some extra camo. Oh, what do you call what they what'd they pick out of their barn?
SPEAKER_00:I think you bought it Oh, the weed, yeah, the extra weeds, yeah, just for covering.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah, whatever you want to cover up to make sure, yeah, if you're bringing out stuff that stands out, you know. Just make sure you can cover it up or you know, um, not too much, but yeah, it's my two cents.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think we talked about this, like especially on the refuge, like I like to run light, you know. So Caitlin, you want to put a couple you I see you highlighting those. You wanna you wanna throw one of those out there?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I was just looking at uh the old sleeping through your alarm on a hunt day, especially if you're the guest. I've definitely been at some of my family members' doors, like, are we gonna go or not? And then I just leave. That's always a bummer.
SPEAKER_00:So I can honestly say I don't think I I've slept to the alarm a couple times, but I've never slept through an alarm for a hunt, and I've even gone on record saying that most times I'm up well before that alarm goes off just because of the anticipation, or maybe I have a long drive, or maybe I I'm the resie holder, and you know, maybe you're meeting me there, and if I'm not, you know, all those things. But you know what's funny was I was listening to another podcast, and I think it was one of their early episodes, and they were talking about like unwritten rules, and they were saying, you know, don't if you're a guest, be on time, you know, don't sleep through the alarm, that type of thing. So if we say, hey, we're leaving at you know 4 a.m. Well, don't show up at 4 15, right? But what they also said, we don't need you at my house at 2 30 either. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01:So uh we talked about.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I think on this one, it's like, and I know we're kind of getting into unwritten rules, not necessarily naughty or nice, it's like, that's on you. Like, I'm like we all learned how to hunt independently. I think like if I'm saying, hey Pete, we're gonna take you on a hunt and he sleeps through the alarm clock, I might give him one call or something, but for the most part, I'm like, we're out of here. What I also think is like this is has nothing to do with any of you guys, but it's like, let's also be ready to go, too. You know? Have your shit ready or stage so that way we just throw it in the rig and we're on the move.
SPEAKER_03:But yeah.
SPEAKER_00:What about what about this one? Because I saw you highlight it as well, Caden. Bailing last minute after committing to a hunt.
SPEAKER_01:And I'm that's when I'm more I I was taken more as Remember last year when I just didn't have my so well, I don't know if I guess this technically might be admitting to an an infraction, so Johnny Green jeans can come after me. But I was out at my rice flying and I was supposed to go hunt with you on one of your reszies, and I didn't have my hunting license or anything. And remember that? I don't, but did you end up just going to another Resi and I was just so I was I'd already hunted my blind. You're like, all right, or maybe I was coming down and I'm like staying in the trailer, you were gonna go hunt a reszi, and I was gonna go with you. Like, I don't have it was like 10 o'clock. I'm like, I don't have my license, I don't have a plat, whatever it was. And you're like, Well, what's the game plan? I'm like, Oh, I'm just gonna hunt my rice, which I guess obviously would be well now that you have the online well say that I was gonna say with the online, I mean, and they gotta figure out a before that was a thing. Yeah, um, so I would say I'm guilty of that, but man, you can't bail.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, that's not necessarily bailing, and and I don't know, Pete, what are your thoughts?
SPEAKER_02:Well, I don't yeah, I don't think I've ever bailed on a hunt. No, you haven't. Yeah. I think I think I think it's kind of messed up. So I'll tell you commit to something, yeah. You know, so we'll drop it a bargain.
SPEAKER_00:Won't dare mention the service because this was years ago, but we were set we were set up we were set up to go on a guided hunt. Yeah, we were set up to go on a guided hunt, and I think it was just Pete and I and Caitlin, you weren't going with us, but I think you obviously threw some fuel. All right, all right, yeah, but he Yeah, I don't I don't want to let's not even come close to mention it, but Caitlin was just throwing fuel on the fire when it came to the social media, and this was obviously a long time ago, but this blind this guide service had some issues that morning, and they had to cancel the hunt on us. So we're all up at the meeting spot, and you know, it was kind of a ways away. And I'll tell you what, I'm not saying that they bailed on the hunt last minute, they did the hunt fell apart last minute, but ever since that experience, I never leave home without gear to go do my own hunt. Now that's on me, right? Like people would be like, Oh, you should have had decoys in your car, you could have gone to the refuge. But that day it was like 4 35 in the morning, and we're like, Well, what do we do now? So I'd had no choice but to just drive home because I had I could have gone to the refuge, but what am I gonna do? You know? So yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and that was that was wild.
SPEAKER_00:That was let's uh let's wrap up with a couple Christmas ones real quick. So and this is probably more for Caitlin and I, you know, with I would say the families, but you know, obviously Pete, you have plans for Christmas every day or every year too. But what about I'm assuming this had to do with like you know the wife and kids and all that. How about leaving Christmas morning to hunt without asking?
SPEAKER_01:I think that's a no-go right now, but as my kids get older, I think that's gonna become more of a tradition.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I yeah, I I would agree with that.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna leave it on the nice list and hope that it works out in my favor.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, we for now, Christmas morning isn't I haven't hunted Christmas morning in years because we've been coming down to visit family in Southern California and stuff like that. And uh I definitely think that yeah, I think in the next we'll probably do one more year, but obviously I think I'm with you, Kate. And when my son gets a little older, I think that might be kind of cool. Is maybe we wake up, go do a hunt, and then we come home and you know see what Santa brought and everything. I think that'd be pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01:Well that parlays in the next one. So when you leave, when you go for that morning hunt, yeah, you come home late.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, coming home late on Christmas morning from a hunt.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that one, that one, I think you have to pick one or the other.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and I know there's some guys out there that they do whatever they want. I mean, you do you, but I'm I'm thinking that if you know, let's say, you know, Steph was like, hey, you go hunt, but hey, be sure you're home by 10 so we can open presents with the boys, you know, and then same thing for me. You gotta be home by 10, right? Like it it Christmas is all about family and stuff like that. And and if you're not, I mean, if you're not limited out by 10 on your uh on Christmas, then it wasn't in the cards, you know. Let's see how about this one? Let's do one more. Serving wild game without for for holiday dinner without warning the non-hunters.
SPEAKER_01:I say that's sometimes the best way to get people to try it. Agreed. Because how many times do you know that I'm gonna pick on like my my cousin, she'll never listen to this, so I'll say her name, Adrian. She would, I mean, she won't eat anything unless she knows what it is. But if I were just to have it out there, she'd take a bite and I'd be like, hey, was that good?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And she'd say, Yeah. And I'd be like, that was, you know, pintail, and then she'd kill me. But I'd be like, Well, you liked it.
SPEAKER_00:So that's what I I that's why I think that's a nice list. I I I agree because while they may not like it, I think that there's something to people not trying things when they know what it is. You know, to your point, if I'd say, Hey, try this goose, you know, they're just like, you know, they take one little bite, they kind of nibble at it. But if they were to if I were to like slice up, you know, a mallet or a pentail breast and just put it out like as hors d'oeuvres or put it on a plate or whatever, and they have people eat chicken.
SPEAKER_01:Chickens are the nastiest and turkey, those are like two of the nastiest birds in the world. But if heaven's forbid, I bring like this nice looking duck, I you know, process it and cook it nicely for you. It's like a freaking steak. And they're like, Oh, I can't touch that, it's gross. It's like, oh, but you'll go get the factory-made farmers or uh what is that, foster freezes chicken and chicken nuggets.
SPEAKER_00:So we'll do the last one here, and it's funny. They always say don't talk about religion or politics at the dinner table. And I've been getting kind of hit with this one since I started the podcast because it's kind of all I talk about with people, you know, family and work, you know, or whoever I'm talking to these days. But how about this? Talking about duck season or duck hunting at the holiday dinner table nonstop. Naughty or nice? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:That one gets me on the naughty list. I get in trouble.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Yeah. What do you think, Pete?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's definitely naughty. Hopefully we have some other topics.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, I don't mind diving a little bit, but uh I was like, you're probably full football. You're your guys' fan, your guys' Christmas dinner table is probably all football.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, talking about Giants opening day and Niners play, you know, all that.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Well, right on. Well, obviously, I like I said, boys, I apologize. This thing ran way longer than than I thought it would today. But you know, Pete, I'm I'm pumped that you came on. We'll have to have you on again. Caitlin, it's good to have you back on the uh show.
SPEAKER_01:But make my by semi-bi-weekly appearances.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think either next week or the week after, we'll do another one of those season check-ins. So you'll you'll be on that for sure. And hey, Pete's getting out there a little bit, so maybe we'll have he, I know he gave the report here, but maybe we'll uh have him on put me on another three or four hunts, I think.
SPEAKER_02:This year I'll be out there. So I'll have a little update for you, and hopefully uh let's get you up north.
SPEAKER_00:I'll tell you what, no, you don't have to burn spots or anything, but just ask some of those. I know they're all our mutual friends, but ask some of your buddies how they're hunting and everything, and hey, we'll we'll just get the report from Pete there.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So I don't know, dude. I might start my own podcast, start still stealing your listeners everybody. Oh no.
SPEAKER_00:So, well, right on. Well, we're gonna wrap up. Yeah, hey, everyone, Merry Christmas, happy holidays. Be sure to follow us for the Fowlers on Instagram. You know, continue listening, rate and reviewing Spotify, Apple, YouTube, all those fun things. We're hoping that maybe I figured this out. Maybe I can put some video clips on Instagram or YouTube. But yeah, everyone have a happy holiday and we will chat soon. See ya.