Hometown Hero Outdoors

Exploring the Thrill of Turkey Hunting: Strategies, Tactics, and Stories - Wisconsin Turkey Hunt

• Hometown Hero Outdoors • Season 2 • Episode 7

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Ready to experience the thrill of the hunt, the camaraderie of shared experiences, and the satisfaction of a successful harvest? Join us as host Chris Tetrault sit around the campfire with Shawn Knobloch, Garrett Miller, and Matthew Barrett, reliving the adventures from their annual turkey hunting trip in Wisconsin. We dive deep into the nitty-gritty of planning such a trip, from securing the right tags to picking the perfect hunting grounds. Our guests share vivid anecdotes of the hunt, lessons they've learned, and the joy they find in introducing newbies to their passion,

By the time we wrap up our conversation, your hunting game will be several notches higher, and you'll have a newfound appreciation for the profound impact this sport and outdoor therapy can have on people's lives. So, pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and join us as we explore the world of turkey hunting, the great outdoors, and the bonds they forge.

Host: Chris Tetrault
Guests: Shawn Knobloch, Garrett Miller, Matthew Barrett

Produced by Phil Ewert Productions

Theme Music: Hero's Journey
Joel Loopez Tunepocket.com
Licensed by: Phil Ewert Productions

hometownherooutdoors.org

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the hometown hero outdoors podcast. Here is your host, Chris Taitrow.

Speaker 2:

So I'm excited to have another podcast here today. We have actually a pretty good episode here. We have Sean Noblock out of Wisconsin as field staff. We also have Matthew Barrett and Garrett Miller. We're going to talk about some turkey hunting that occurred this last spring over in Wisconsin. This is an annual trip that they host and it's grown over the years. There's been a lot of success and here are a lot of people running and raving about how awesome it's been over there. So we know Sean puts on a pretty good hunt that's over there with the assistance of Garrett. Garrett is a helps with the guiding side of things over in Wisconsin. Then we have Matthew Barrett, who is a member of HHO, who got to experience the hunt.

Speaker 2:

So welcome everyone for being here. I'm excited to have you. I know we've had a handful of delays getting this podcast going. I had to go west for some fires in Oregon with work and that delayed some stuff and getting four people lined up for a podcast is never easy. But appreciate you all being here tonight. So we're going to start off with Sean. Sean, do you want to introduce yourself? Tell everyone who you are, what you've been through, what you've done in the past, your military experience and who you are with HHO.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, my name is Sean Knoblock. I was a 17 year Marine Corps veteran from 89 to 2006. Got out, was missing the camaraderie of the military and found it with HHO. Was a member on a trip with Tony testing up at his in-laws cabin, fell in love with the organization on that event, became a state director, started the state of Wisconsin chapter in 2019, I believe. When did hometown heroes responded in October of 17? Correct, you got it Okay. So then I took over, started Wisconsin in July of 2018. And then this was my first. I did some ice fishing trips here and there.

Speaker 3:

The Turkey trip. Former staff member Ben Gruber approached us, put in a trip request to do this Turkey trip, but he was looking for staff and I had never been Turkey hunting. I said, yeah, I'd be interested in helping out. So Isaiah Hart and myself helped out First year I think we had four members and then Ben myself and Isaiah took guys out. Well, that's kind of like the blind leading the blind if I'd never been Turkey hunting, but it was a learning experience I think we got. We harvested one bird that year, maybe two. Then Ben left the organization. He moved on and was pursuing some other career things and I enjoyed the trip enough that I wanted to keep it going, so we kept it going.

Speaker 3:

In 2019 was the first year Garrett had been part of a fundraising fishing tournament that we had at Lake Arbutus in the Black River Hatfield area where he's from. I met him that day and he said he'd be involved. He'd be interested in becoming involved in helping veterans out on hunting he Goose Hunts, he Bear Hunts, he Turkey Hunts. When he said Turkey out and my ears poked up because I had such a blast. So I was like, well, if I can get some help, I'd love to keep the trip going. And now we're four years into my running the trip.

Speaker 3:

This was the fifth year of the trip and it, like you said, it grows every year. This is a whole different type of trip than anything else that HHO has. Most of our trips they enter. We select a certain amount of people. This one, the members dictate how many people. So I will look. The Wisconsin DNR releases the bonus Turkey tag quota about December timeframe. I'll look at the earliest season with the most tags available. I'll post on our page, on the HHO page, that this trip's coming up. If you're interested, get a permit and let me know that you get. Send me a picture of the permit and you're in on the trip. That's all you have to do. If we have 30 people, we have 30 people will figure it out. Luckily, so far we haven't had that many. I think this year we had. What do we have, garrett? Do you remember 15?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I believe it was 15, 15 this year.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, with Garrett's help he has access to some private land so he was able to get some guys out one-on-one for the last couple of years. The interesting thing about this trip is 90% of the people that go on this trip come every year because it's just the way that it's ran. We turn Larry Haliskey's, a former staff member, we turn his yard into a campground, base camp, and that's just where everybody meets up, we make a plan for the next day and we go out hunting. This year I expanded even further. I became friends with a custom call maker and he came on Saturday and did a about a hour and a half seminar on how to call. I'd say pretty much every member that was there for that ended up buying calls and mastering them before the end of the weekend. So it was a pretty cool thing to see the turkey hunting grow. A lot of the guys never have turkey hunted. They come and they learn all that in one weekend and they continue to come back. It's a pretty amazing experience.

Speaker 2:

You know, turkey hunting is quite my jam. Sitting around and actually waiting for spring to come is huge. You're a cooped up all winter. You're trying to get out of the house and free your mind a little bit and get some exercise, do some different stuff. I mean I love the fall and all the hunting, but something about in the spring after you're getting the snow to melt up in the north here and then getting in the outdoors watching everything green up and hearing the birds come out and then having responsive turkeys be active around you is something. There's something to be said about that. And reactiveness is huge when I'm at in Minnesota here, like the deer, when you rattle deer and whatnot, I mean you'll have some luck. Occasionally. It's not like in the south or anything like that, but the turkeys when they get responsive, you can hear them and that thunder coming towards you. It's just that's amazing. But no, it's awesome trip. Turkey hunting is a huge passion of mine and I'm glad you get to share that experience with other people.

Speaker 2:

But Garrett Garrett is actually 47 years old and he's a civilian here. He's guided turkey and bear for 20 years. He enjoys being in the outdoors and sharing stories with others. He's also out of Wisconsin. Garrett, you want to introduce yourself and talk to the listeners about who you are. What got you into guiding like? What's your outdoor passions and how do those begin?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I'm Garrett Miller. I live here in Hatfield, wisconsin. At a young age three years old or so, my dad used to take us hunting and, to be honest, from then it's just, it's something that comes natural here. We live out in the country so it's woods all around us, so I enjoy hunting and along the way, as I got a little bit older, a lot of people wanted to hunt. You take them along with you and you just see the excitement in them and, to be honest, I get more of a kick out of watching somebody else harvest an animal than I do. I get way more excited. Some of our bear hunters are turkey hunters. I hop up, I'm shaking hands, I'm shaking and they're just kind of. Some of them are dumbfounded just looking at the animal and not really excited. But I think I cover that on the excitement. But yeah, it's just something that we always have done since kids and it's something I really enjoy. We got a lot of turkeys around here not quite as many as we used to. We got a lot of predators around the last few years, but the turkey population is pretty strong.

Speaker 4:

You got to put a lot of miles on the truck, scout a lot of birds. That's another thing. I like to put a lot of time in it because if I'm doing it I want to be good at it and I want to give the people the best chance and opportunity to harvest an animal. And if we don't harvest anything, that's great too. But just getting out there is a big thing for me. It's enjoyable.

Speaker 4:

You can hear those birds gobbling in the morning or you put them to bed at night. At least it gives you an option in the morning. Things change overnight, though. We've had birds hot at night. In the morning they don't say anything. So it's quite the adventure out there every morning you hear a lot of birds. You got to decide which way you want to go and how you want to hunt them, and a lot of things play into factor in that. But I enjoy helping all you guys and I wanted to help. As I was never in the military. I appreciate everybody that has been and that are still in the military. It's kind of my way of giving back for what you guys give. So that's kind of where I'm at. On donating my time, I mean I do it anyways. It's just something I enjoy to do. But if I can help in any way doing this sort of stuff. I'm always there and always available.

Speaker 2:

No, that's fantastic. I know that you said you have some bear hunting experience too. Is it similar with a? Since a young age you kind of moved up doing that.

Speaker 4:

I didn't start bear hunting myself until probably, I would say, about eight years ago. I've always helped. There's a local guide service that I've always helped throughout the years and that's kind of got me interested in it. But it was always so much work I never had enough time. I worked on the road so I couldn't really give myself a good enough chance of being in the woods. And it just the last few years everything's really kind of clicking. You know, a couple years ago my wife Harvestator first bear. I was along with her, so that was cool. Last year I shot a 497. My wife's got a tag again this year and we got two bears that are probably pushing 500 coming in daytime. So we'll see how that goes. But bear hunting around here and we've got a lot of bears, a lot of hunting pressure, but you got to get after it. You got to go in deeper than most guys want to go in, you know. So things stay a little easier when you're further back in the woods, but a lot of bears around here for sure.

Speaker 2:

We'll talk a little bit more about the bear tactics there. I know things are a little different in Wisconsin. In most states I know you guys aren't able to do any baiting over there. Is that right?

Speaker 4:

No, we can actually start baiting. April 15th and a lot of guys bait In the spring. Yep, yep, yep, and our season starts this year September 6th, but every year it's April 15th. You can start baiting, I believe. In Minnesota you guys got two weeks. I think this year you might have a little bit extra. I think it's almost pushing three weeks.

Speaker 2:

But yeah, there's a lot of, but you can't hunt over bait.

Speaker 4:

Yep, we can hunt over bait where? We're oh, that's different, actually the entire state. You can hunt over bait when we're at, in zone C. That's the only way you can hunt them. You can't run dogs in zone C, but you can train your dogs. You just can't hunt them in C.

Speaker 2:

That's that zone, though, like you, can run dogs elsewhere in the state. Correct me if I'm wrong. I've obviously been entirely wrong on everything right now.

Speaker 4:

Northern Wisconsin. I believe there's. I believe there's five bear zones. There may be six, but C is it used to be the half of the state below Highway 64, used to be all zone C and you had a lot of dog runners down here that train them, but then come season, a week before season, they can't run dogs anymore. But the northern half you can run dogs or you can sit as well. But they switched the zones up a little bit this year or the last two years and I think they just wanna harvest a few more bears.

Speaker 4:

It's a little, your chances are a little bit better running dogs than sitting on baits, because the baits can go cold once acorns drop and the corn starts milking, which we're on a few bear sites, and that's what everybody's asking. What's everybody doing? Why can't the bears come in during the day? And it's just, it's natural food. They know what they need to put on, wait for the winter to get through the winter. So I mean it doesn't matter really what you wanna do, you just need to keep consistent on what you're doing. So but that's interesting.

Speaker 2:

Things must have changed in the last couple of years, for sure, since I've dug into them. But it will circle back a bit a little bit later and we'll talk more about bear and some different turkey hunting tactics and whatnot that you like to use. But we also have Matthew Barrett here. Matthew is a US Marine veteran. He also lives in Wisconsin, he's a member of HHO and has attended the Turkey trip. So, matt, thanks for coming here, being available for the podcast. I again I apologize on the delays, but I'm happy you're here. So can you introduce yourself to the listeners? Maybe talk about your Marine Corps service, how long you served, how you got introduced to HHO and got hooked up with this awesome trip.

Speaker 5:

You bet. Thanks for inviting me. So I served in Marine Corps, camp Lejeune from. My active service was 84 to 88, 19,. You know, a few years ago and I was motor transport in a artillery unit, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines. So good experience I have. We have an annual reunion now in Ohio for our unit so which you know hadn't seen them for 20 years and everybody started getting together. So it's good to see all the Marines I served with and then some that are even that served in that unit after I got out.

Speaker 5:

So I met the guys from hometown heroes here in Wisconsin at one of the one of the I think it was the spring show in the Dells Sportsman show Expo and it was really the last day. I passed them a few times and didn't get. I had my niece with me and my dad didn't get a chance to talk to them and they were set up a little late. So I was able to talk to them the last day of the show and they told me about the turkey hunt. So I got on and so this was my first turkey hunt with them and I had.

Speaker 5:

You know, I try hunting. I hadn't harvested a bird in probably 15 years and usually just go out with myself, and, and so this was a really opportunity, garrett, when I first got up there I think I got up there Thursday and then hunted with Garrett for a couple of days before all the other guys come, and then he was able to set me up on some private land and I was able to harvest one sitting by myself. So, after we got the custom calls, learned how to use it, and that was, you know, and I've always been over-calling, or you know, not. So that little seminar was really, really helpful and I got my bird the next morning, so it was really fun.

Speaker 2:

So I mean there's an art to it. You know any type of hunt, you understanding what the ins and outs are, and I'm sure we all probably over-call.

Speaker 5:

I don't think that's I think understanding, especially the with the seminar and a couple of guys got their birds understanding. You know that when the turkeys get aggressive or shut off, you can get aggressive with your calling or you can calm down. And most of the time I said if you get a little bit more aggressive they'll come in. You know, you don't have to be necessarily loud, but a little bit more aggressive calling seemed to. I think a couple of guys went out and tried some with the new mouth calls or the glass slate call that we got and I think what? Out of 15 guys, nine got birds, One doubled up, wasn't it? Who was it that doubled up? Kelly the trip.

Speaker 3:

Kelly.

Speaker 4:

Kelly Halbertson. Kelly and his father doubled up, and then I doubled up with one of the members as well.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, but I think Kelly Kelly got two birds during the trip, so he, cause he had two, he had two zones, cause that was what was nice. That was what's really nice about this trip is is it, is it just across the road? You've got two different zones so you can have two tags for the same season in two different zones. So that's a nice, unique thing about this as well is I got my, I got my turkey in one zone. Well, I could stay for the rest of the weekend and hunt it and hunt in the other zone.

Speaker 5:

And and what was nice is Garrett, you know, living around there. He has, he has private land, he knows all the public land and and where. So he drove around and had had, you know, try, this space, if you, you know, get up on the road located. If you hear it, get in the woods, you know. Or if you see one running on the road, you know, just get out your truck and and go sit down, you know. So just some very nice advice from Garrett. And you know, like I said, he had some family plots, he had some other private landowners that allowed us all to come on without, without Garrett being there. So he had that set up. The landowners, you know, trusted that. That you know Garrett knew us enough that you know they they trusted the private landowners, trusted us to come on their land and and the respect that land.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, it speaks pretty loudly regarding, you know, everyone and their willingness to want to help out with the organization, to be able to give back and and some people might have to give a whole lot that's fine, totally fine. But you know, even giving space for us to go and enjoy hunts or access to some type of water, body of water to go either enjoy or recreate on when it comes to maybe voting or fishing is huge, and working with those relationships with those landowners is massive too. You know, one of the biggest things that I always like to share with our field staff and our members too is, you know, like our hunting community and angling, snowmobiling, atv all of us were a very small user group when it comes to the population. You know, a lot of us enjoy these things and we're passionate about it, you know. So being able to represent the rest of us is huge. So being respectful of those landowners and understanding what their boundaries are and respecting the requests that they have is very paramount for any type of outdoors person, but also for the organization, to do and for them to be able to give to us and then also respect those boundaries, is huge. So putting in that work, finding those relationships with those people is a lot of work too, but also making sure that you're maintaining those relationships is Something that can last a lifetime, so dear, and I appreciate you putting in that work for all that stuff it's. I know it's a lot.

Speaker 2:

When I was up on the lax lake, still up in central Minnesota, we put on a Turkey hunt early in the organization too, and I had a lot of good relationships with landowners up there and we hosted, I want to say, 10 or 15 hunters up there for turkey hunting the spring and it was phenomenal Again, going back to waitin all winter being cooped up. You know like I Was ready, the members who ready, it was exciting and just the reactiveness of the birds in the outdoors is pretty exciting. But now appreciate that. So, matt, thanks for talking about your experience. We'll talk about it a bit more.

Speaker 2:

We're going to flip back over to Garrett. Garrett. Let's talk about a little bit more of your turkey hunting tactics that you use. What are the different things that help make you successful, like when you're scouting, understanding where roosts are? What kind of calls and tactics do you use? I know that Sean said he had some calls that were made. You know like. What kind of things are the tactics that you use to be successful and these members on birds and be successful harvesting them?

Speaker 4:

Well, in Jackson County, where I'm at we butt right close up to Clark County as well there's thousands and thousands of public acres to hunt. It's just, it's amazing how much lander is to actually hunt. The biggest thing is you need to put miles on on the truck Before the season. You know, up and down the roads, you know you see some hens, you know. You know If you see hens in the spring there's Tom's around. I mean, it's just you know he may not be out there Right now but you just you know I hit a pin on my truck and you know you go back there early in the morning. You try to get them the gobble. You go back there in the evening, try to get on the gobble and they, you know a lot of times the birds over here they got or they roost pretty close to the same spot Every night where they roost. They might shift the tree or two depends on if they're interrupted getting back to the roost in the evening, but usually they're in the general area. So you just mark those down and and you go to the next one and you try to find them. But it's a lot of miles. I mean you put a lot of miles on it's. I do a lot of hunting and I like a lot of goose hunting in the fall too. So there's miles there too, scouting. But by far spring I put the most miles on on my truck looking for turkeys. But you know, in the private property that I have that's a little bit easier. You know, my brother owns a big farm not a big farm, but you know, a pretty good size farm. So there's birds there every year. Wouldn't even really have to scout it, just hunt it. They're there. Same with my father-in-law's. He's got 80 acres, probably a 35 acre field. The birds are. The birds have been there for the last, I don't know Eight years that I know of. They're there every year. So and we've harvested Off my father-in-law's this last year I believe we shot five times off of that property and to be honest, we barely touched them. So, like I said, there's good population. But the tactics you know for for the turkey hunt, for me is is Just a lot of miles, you know you, you get out there, you find the birds, you pin them.

Speaker 4:

I'm 99% a diaphragm guy. I do use a slate early in the morning while they're on the roost just to get them a little bit fired up. But other than that I'm I got a straight diaphragm. You know I buy three of the same call For the year. When one starts running low or, you know, getting wore out, I have another one, but that Tony Myers, he's. He's the fellow that makes these custom calls. I did purchase one from him.

Speaker 4:

I like a raspy call. I've always liked a super raspy call, you know, like a two-pack a day girl, you know. So it's, it's a big difference. I feel. I mean, for my experience it seems like it helps. You can get on them real hard If the birds are quiet. You know you can get them to get fired up. You know Get them the gobble here and there. That's the biggest thing, you know. So if you got to move, you can move, but that's, you know. That's about it.

Speaker 4:

For for calling, you know you try not to over call.

Speaker 4:

I mean, like you said, you know everybody does it.

Speaker 4:

I catch myself doing it. I think the biggest thing about over calling is people want to know where that bird is. If they can't see them, that's a big thing about hunting over here in the woods, against the farmland, farmland, I can watch 80 acre field and see the birds the whole time in the woods. You know they get in 20 yards, some of the places where we're at before you can even see them. So you're trying to get them the gobble, just so you know. You know you could have a bird to your left and you're set up to your left and he doesn't gobble, doesn't gobble, and you're sitting there and all sunny gobbles and he's on your right and now, you know, now you're kind of stuck.

Speaker 4:

So I think that that's where a lot of people kind of over call. Is they? They want to hear that bird gobble, and I get it because it's there's nothing cooler than here and one of them chickens beller in a way. You know. But you know, sometimes over calling, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But the biggest thing with turkeys is, you know, if it doesn't work today, you can try that bird again tomorrow, try a different, different tactic. You know, be relentless. You know, if you find a bird, hunt them till you kill them. That's kind of what we do over here. I, I have other birds I could hunt, but I kind of get it under my skin and I'm like you know, if you beat me, I'm gonna beat you. So I keep after until I get that's awesome.

Speaker 2:

Are you using? Are you like running and gunning using? I assume you're sitting in the base trees. It sounds like for the most part are using blinds.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I'm the private. I'm not much of a blind guy. I do. You know, if I hunt with my wife, she, she hunts out of blind a little bit. Other than that, you know, I like turkey chairs. I'm a big fella. So if I sit on the bottom of a tree my legs go to sleep. So I like the turkey chairs. It's a little more to talk around with you but you can make them quiet. But we run and gun. I I'll give up on birds. If it's not working and I prefer to make it happen, then let it happen. You know, sometimes they come running in, sometimes they don't. But if I'm you know, to be honest, if I'm not killing a bird and In 45 minutes from them coming out of the roost, I'm moving on another bird. You'll find birds later in the day too that are all super active after the hens are bred in the morning. Lot of times afternoons are better than the mornings, sometimes not as vocal, but you don't have a lot of hens buggering you up.

Speaker 2:

So what about decoys? So what kind of decoys you're running?

Speaker 4:

When I run and gun through the woods we don't take any decoys at all. Okay by the time, but by the time you or they would see your decoy they should be close enough to shoot, because where we hunt it's it's pretty thick In the fields. Yeah, in the fields that we hunt I usually run. I try to run like two feeders and a. Sometimes I run a quarter strut Jake and I have a lay down Hen. I used to have one of the Alert hens. I feel that that makes them a little more leery and skittish. The feeding hens. I just feel that you know it's more relaxed that sort of thing. But I'll run. You know, I think one of the hunts this year I ran for decoys. I ran a quarter strut Jake, the lay down, and then I had two feeders.

Speaker 4:

You know, when we doubled up on those turkeys that day they came from our left. There was it was a place that me and Matthew had hunted, I think, two mornings and we had birds every morning and they just went. They were Roofing on somebody else's property. They went out another field two days in a row and then I went with another guy and they came into the field like they're supposed to. They walked right by the decoys and we had another bird on the other side of the field and it's. They could have cared less about the decoys. It was funny because they walked right by him. But I think you know birds that are held up in the woods a little bit looking into a field. If they see that, you know they like to see what they hear. You know I mean, if they can't see those hens, you know he helping away, they get skittish. You know I mean they get hunted enough to where they're pretty smart. You know A lot of people say turkeys are the dumbest bird. Wait till you haunt them, They'll prove you're off.

Speaker 2:

I was gonna say the loudest bird in the woods when it comes to the fall. But when you get into the spring, man, that's a whole different game. Whole different game, I'd. And everyone's like, well, you're dumb birds in the fall, you can hunt them easier, and they're still not as easy in the fall either. I mean, yeah, you can hit them from your deer stand or whatever, but yeah, I mean they definitely they're on their a game when it comes to being in the spring and they can come up on you real quick. But yeah, no, turkeys are awesome, it's fun.

Speaker 1:

We'll return to the podcast in a moment, but first we want to thank silencer central for supporting our podcast. Silencer central has been making silencer buying simple since 2005 and works tirelessly on behalf of suppressor owners everywhere. Go to silencer centralcom to learn about how to buy a suppressor and browse their product catalog. Now back to our podcast.

Speaker 2:

You know, I just read something recently to that there's a population decline across the country. I'll have to dig into that article a bit more too. But I think it's a holding capacity thing where you know they've hit a Peak in population and now they're kind of declining a little bit. So we'll see what happens with the future here. But I know one of my partners and good friends is up in Eileen. He had a turkey running through his yard this year. So it just shows how far they've migrated. And when I first started hunting turkeys and I got back from Iraq would have been 2007 they were just sparsely showing up in central Minnesota, you know. So they're, they're moving, but it's taking time but they're getting there and they're the resilient creatures, you know, and the conservation has been pretty good. But hey, sean. So I want to talk about the complexities of Putting together a trip like this and different things that go into it. Do you want to talk about that a little bit? Yeah, this.

Speaker 3:

This one's pretty. Like I said, it's a lot easier because it's it's. You don't have to worry about the guys that are gonna back out at the last minute Because for them to come on this trip they have to. They have to purchase the permit. Once they do, that pretty much tells me that they're locked in. We did have one guy that sent us a picture of yeah tags for both zones. Let me talk about that really quick because it's been mentioned. We are in the Black River Falls area. Jackson County Forest is on one side of highway 54. What's the other one, black River County Forest? Is that a county forest on the other side?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, there's county and state property, so it's south of 54 is zone one and north of 50 or 54 is on three.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, so we have, we have two different zones, which which we have two different zones, which which makes it even better for the tag availability, and both of the last two years we've had guys shoot birds on the first day we had. Last year we had a curly. A retired Sergeant Major shot his bird the night before the actual HHO hunt even started. The HHO hunt is Friday, saturday, sunday. However, if they have the tag, the season opens on Wednesday so they can come whenever and if Garrett's available he hunts with them. Curly shot one, but an hour into the season. Last year he only had the one tag. He was done, but he still hung out with us all weekend. This year, like Matthew shot his, but he still had the other zone to hunt, he still was able to hang out. So it's a little bit easier for setting up this type of trip.

Speaker 3:

Last year we did something different. Of the four years that I ran it, three years we've camped at Larry's. Last year we did something a little different. Larry was out in Colorado transitioning to retirement from the military, so we weren't able to use his land. But my aunt and uncle have an Airbnb cabin up on Lake Arbutus, which is Garrett's backyard. He fishes that lake every week so he knows that area. We were able to utilize. That cabin slept, I believe, 12. And it was nice. But it's an added cost. If we could just camp at someone's backyard and I like the closeness of being in a yard. You have the campfire every night. It's just an awesome to find people. Garrett pretty much fell into our lap at that fishing. He participated in a fundraising fishing event, ended up winning a fishing trip, didn't? Your wife and you went on a fishing trip that you won on that Lake Arbutus outing at that Larryhead.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, we won an eight hour guided trip with actually a two day trip with Max Wilson he's on the circuit and that sort of stuff over on Green Bay. Yeah, we won that just pulling cards on a deck of cards, so I was excited about that.

Speaker 3:

So, yeah, that's how we met Garrett and Garrett's pretty much he's the first person I call when the dates come out. We look at our calendars and my first person to go to is Garrett hey, are you available that week, or should we push it back to the next week, even though there might be less tags or, like I mentioned earlier maybe I didn't on the podcast, but one of the big things that we have to look at every year is ATV trails are prominent through the entire land that we hunt both sides of the road, both zones, and the trails open on May 15th. That season that we aim for usually is the week before. This year we were fortunate the 15th was on a Monday. A lot of the ATV trails and zones in the state opened on that Saturday just because that brings people to the communities, which brings money into the communities. Jackson County said no, we're not doing that. Trails open on the 15th. So we had that last weekend and I think that's what benefited us this year, cause we've had that every year, that the trails open on Saturday and Sunday. So we really only have Thursday and Friday to really go after them, and then we have some land that's away from the trails, but that's a big thing that we look at. As far as food, we've always had, we've always been lucky with this group. Everyone brings something and chips in, so there's not really a budget for food that I have to ask for, so it's just worked out. This is of all the things that I've done with HHO, this is probably my favorite trip. I've done a lot with ice fishing and some fundraisers for some suicide awareness groups that those are also important, but this one is one that I was part of the first year and I've helped it grow and to see it grow.

Speaker 3:

From the first year we got, I think, one bird. I think the first year Garrett was involved with us. We, you know the birds just weren't there. We only got a couple. Then last year, I think, we got five and this year we're up to nine and you know the population is down. It's obvious. I went to South Dakota this year for a week out in the Black Hills and I went in there thinking, oh, this is easy, this is a destination, this is where it's gonna be. Everybody I talked to they weren't on birds, we were on birds, we heard them, we saw a couple hands. We never got on the toms and. But yet you follow these South Dakota turkey pages on Facebook and you see guys getting birds day after day after day and you're like why can't I get on them? But then you find out these guys, like he said, the deeper that you go in to the woods willing to put in the work, makes it a lot easier because the birds are going where the pressure is now.

Speaker 2:

You could use rifles in South Dakota too. I mean, you can shoot those things when they're running away for the third day. Watch them run away.

Speaker 3:

We were in the Black Hills area and I my father-in-law, might be watching this, so I'm not gonna put the blame on my father-in-law, but I had to keep in mind that he was 65 years old and out there the birds might be right across the valley, but that valley is a four hour walk.

Speaker 2:

Oh, it's work.

Speaker 3:

It's tough. It's tough for me at a healthy active 52 year old, 53 next week, but-.

Speaker 2:

You're being pretty generous to yourself there.

Speaker 3:

At 65 year old, that you know. He's done his time in the woods. I watched it wear him down, so I mean yeah well. But I mean, we were on birds and one thing I learned about the South Dakota trip and that's like Garrett said, if you hear a bird you stay on them till you get them, especially out there. There is no other birds, there might not be another bird, so you gotta stay on the ones you hear. And that was the biggest mistake I made this year.

Speaker 2:

Well, it's live and let learn right. That's just how things go. No, it sounds like a really good trip, you know, and I'm happy that you guys get to experience that and put it on and it sounds like, for the most part, planning is easy, people show up, and that's a bigger hurdle that our listeners may not know about is a lot of the times getting people to commit to these adventures that we host sometimes can be difficult. You know, we have 10 people that put them for a trip and we'll get a 50% back out right, if not higher, with the fine replacements for people.

Speaker 2:

And sometimes I don't know if it's combination of the fact that people don't think they'll get drawn and they don't ask their significant other for permission or they got another family event that they're forgetting, or you know, the biggest excuse is oh, that's my kid's birthday, and how do we argue that? You know we're like well, yeah, you gotta be there for your kid's birthday. Sorry, forgot about it until the week of, you know. So I mean, I get it. Life happens too. We're not gonna give people a hard time for not going, but that's another thing is filling these trips, and keeping them filled is really difficult to do so. It sounds like this one is pretty self-fulfilling, which is good to hear. But hey, matt, so is there anything else you wanted to talk about, your experience or your hunt or anything like that?

Speaker 5:

I'd like to add one thing. Especially Garrett and Sean and them did they kind of they introduced me to Onyx, right, is that Onyx?

Speaker 5:

Yeah, the application yep, because what we did is each night we shared, you know, and Garrett had points and as him and I were out he'd mark birds on there and then if there were individuals that came felt comfortable going out on their own, they'd just drop the points to them, you know, and say here's where we saw herd bird last night, or we roosted some so that it gave that opportunity for everybody to try a bird. You know where we did locate them and we couldn't put you know if not everybody could go out, or you know and scout that pre-scouting was done and birds were located as well. So I think that helped with our success. Onyx is a phenomenal application.

Speaker 2:

That app has so much that it can do, you know it talks about public land, private land. Talks about land ownership, how to contact people, what zone you're in. Talks about weather wind direction.

Speaker 2:

I mean you go to North Dakota too. They have this new electric I'm sorry, trespassing, let's try trespassing that they have up there so you can mark your own land up there, and I mean it's very interactive and I think it even shows wildfires on it too. If you're out West, you know it shows that where the wildfires are out and active. So, yeah, it's a very awesome application that you can use on your phone and you can download. A lot of people don't know you can download those maps to your phone.

Speaker 5:

So if you don't have service, you can still use them, yeah and I mean I just I got the free app and then I bought Wisconsin just to get some of those extra things. You know, and I usually don't buy a lot of apps like that, you know, because it's like which one do you want? I ended up buying, like I said, wisconsin. So it gave me, like you said, the zone, the you know for the season, and it adds, you know, just a nice little layer there that you know Garrett's hard work in the off seasons or just where he knows the birds have been. And for us that aren't familiar with the area, it just gave us a quick reference and here you go, you know you can get yourself right out there. So I thought that was a nice, that's a nice added feature that everybody was using.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, it's an app that was started in 2009 by Eric Siegfried to help hunters, including himself public land boundaries. While in the field, he had a vision to how accurate location data with plug in place simplicity would support hunters and explorers alike. His determination and passion led first to the original Onyx chip, establishing on Onyx as the first land data company of its kind, and then the app was actually created in 2013, which people have been able to use with their phones. So it's been the advancements been huge.

Speaker 4:

Not the button here. Quick, I just saw a commercial, I believe yesterday they have some sort of deal with Onyx now too, that you can have it on your vehicle, right on the screen on your truck or whatever. I haven't looked into it too much, but I did see a commercial. I think that'd be a fantastic tool to have so you're not constantly messing on your phone while you're driving down the road.

Speaker 5:

You got a screen in your truck, garrett, I do, I'm not the one that I was in.

Speaker 4:

No, that's my hunting truck. I have one in my vehicle, the hunting truck. That's the one. I don't mind bumping branches and stuff, but my other one is one in.

Speaker 2:

Love it Cool.

Speaker 3:

The one thing about this trip is we get different experience levels. Four years ago when I took the trip over, I was not a turkey hunter, I was a wannabe turkey hunter, not that I would say I'm a turkey hunter now. But because of people like Garrett and the help that I've gotten learning from these apps, going to webinars, working with people like Garrett, working with Tony Myers's custom calls I consider myself an experienced turkey hunter now. So if we get five guys that have never turkey hunted before, I feel comfortable taking one out. That first year that I did it, that Garrett was part of it, garrett was my go-to.

Speaker 3:

I had four guys that had never turkey hunted before and they had to rotate with going with Garrett because you couldn't have four people go. I took one of them. I was like well, we'll see what we can do. We never had any luck now and I think everybody we have Kelly Halverson, who's been on the trip every year that I've had it, except for last year there are two years ago. He has been hunting turkeys for a lot of years and he's been very successful with it. He's one that we can always send people out, but with this Onyx it opens up a whole new game to send some mediocre hunter with someone that's not experienced if they know there's a bird there or how to get to where the bird was. So Onyx is a big discovery for the turkey hunting world.

Speaker 2:

I mean, it's definitely another factor that helps with hunters, but still got to know what you're doing a little bit. So it's like you go fishing, it's not catching, it's fishing still. It's like can't make things happen. But no, totally I agree. Well, gentlemen, we're at 46 minutes for the podcast and I really appreciate the conversation we've had at this point. Sean, I just wanted to give you the floor here for another minute or two to talk about Wisconsin itself and the other trips that you guys host over there. I know you guys do the atomic fishing derby. You guys usually have a huge waterfowl opener that you guys engage in and just talk about some of those trips and some of the things that are coming up for this fall.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, he mentioned the atomic. The atomic is one of the events that I do every. It's the always the Saturday before the Super Bowl week, which is also the same weekend that Garrett hosts a fishing tournament up on Lake Arbutus that benefits a volunteer fire department which this year I'm hoping to be able to make an appearance at. Both, obviously, I put on the atomic, but with HHL on our fifth anniversary this last year, allowing firefighters and first responders, I think Garrett's event would be beneficial for us to have a presence at and get our word out. We just recently had a leadership change. You know, after five years there's a lot of work that goes into even being field staff and as you go up the ladder I was the state director for five years I can't imagine the work and the phone calls that you guys get on the board level. But when, when a state goes out long and you don't see a lot of a lot of traction being made, it's time for a change and the state director was a good place to change. So I stepped down as state director. I say stepped into the role, get some fresh, fresh blood in there to go out and make new contacts, and it gives me an opportunity to step back and and be back as a field staff and be reminded of why I love the organization and and goal is to get law enforcement, military veterans, firefighters, first responders out on recreational, therapeutical hunting and fishing outdoor experiences. And I kind of lost that and started to get frustrated. It was time for a change and the first to admit, I was a little bitter at the change, but now I'm embracing it and I could be happier with where Isaiah is going to take this. We were still in communication daily. I can't be more excited to see where the state of Wisconsin goes and it's only going to help HHO grow even more. I know that they just had a big sturgeon fishing trip or not a sturgeon fishing trip, a fishing trip in sturgeon Bay on the Bay of Green Bay just a couple weeks ago. We do a duck opener every year. Gary Elberts has taken that over. That's usually over in the Montello Wisconsin area, so we have a lot going on.

Speaker 3:

If you, if you just stumbled across this by the via this podcast, I, if you are a veteran law enforcement, firefighter, first responder, I invite you to check out our page hometownherooutdoorsorg. Go to our Facebook. We have multiple different pages. We have a community page where, hey, I'm looking for a veteran owned company to do this to my house or do this, and then we have one that, if you know, if it. We all know that veterans lead, lead American suicide suicide something that's been near and dear to, I know, charlie's heart. This last year we were we were able to do some suicide Intervention skills training that I still use to this day. Even if I go a couple days without talking to someone, or weeks, I'll still pull out that card that we got now. I'll look at it just to remind myself in case it comes up, because when you get that call you don't have time to say hold on, let me get my cheat card on how to help you. So I still stay up on it.

Speaker 3:

The organization is second to none as far as not only the Experiences that we get to take people out on, but the support that we give to the people that have given us. So I Would like to thank Garrett For all the help that he's given me on this trip for four years. Look forward to keep going, garrett. It we could go out for hours if we start telling stories about Someone gets a little cold in the morning or something like that, but Without people like Garrett Larry who opens up his yard, anthony Myers custom calls for coming out this year and this is all for the members, but this trip won't happen without the members. So, matthew, I appreciate you and all the members that come on these trips and I'm sure Matthew will tell you you come on one. You're gonna want to come on a lot.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, they can be a little dig thing, that's for sure, you know, that's okay. That's what we want, though, that's the people to establish that camaraderie and get to know people and build your network, so, but yeah, so I'm gonna have you guys do some closing statements. I know, matt, you're ready to talk about something here, but just want to kind of recap or wind down on your final thoughts for the, for the podcast.

Speaker 5:

I Just like to say thank you to Sean and Garrett for their time in this. It was a great first trip and I do plan on doing more. I want some information on the duck hunting in the, the ice fishing, because those are something that I've that I've wanted to get into. I have never been waterfowl hunting, so it's something that I'd like to do and, and you know, just having I I've got an 80 year old dad that that beer hunts with me, but he doesn't do much other hunting other than then bow hunting, rifle hunt, so so I like spending the time with him, but I also like spending time with my military brothers and sisters to you know like-minded people, and it's just great time. And my wife doesn't hunt and she doesn't eat anything that I hunt, so so you know, so it's it's it's kind of I've been married for 37 years and it's kind of our time apart 37 man props to you.

Speaker 5:

That's 37 like three in a seven three, seven I was, I got, I met her. I met her the first week when you were six. You've been married since your six yeah.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. So I met her at Myrtle Beach the. Actually the first night that I got to my unit at Alpha battery, first battalion 10th Marine to Camp Lejeune, Got on the back of a One of the Marine get. I got to the squad bay, he goes what are you doing? I said I don't know. He said you want to go to Myrtle Beach. I'm like where's that? You know? He says let's go. So we went and met her and I've been with her ever since.

Speaker 2:

So that's awesome Work worked out good for you and you know, not a secret military marriages and relationships are never really don't work out.

Speaker 5:

No, yeah, and I think I think we're the only ones that are still married out of everybody that that I served with. So I'd also like to say I Was looking for some contacts At the sporting goods show. I have 31 acres here in Salt County. I have there's a thousand acres of public right across the street from me, as you see in and you know when it was light in my background. I've got some flat land here that's wheelchair accessible, you know powered wheelchair.

Speaker 5:

So I'm trying to hook up with some disabled veteran, you know. So if anybody knows of you know disabled veteran, that's that's looking for a place to do any hunting, deer hunting. I do have coyotes here, so I'm looking to do some predator hunting. But if anybody's interested, they can, you know, look me up on Facebook and private message me and you know see what we can Work out. Like said I've got, I've got one little condo stand. That's not really, but I got some blinds, or we can set something up, you know, if it's, if it's cold out, and you know I'm willing to share my land with with, with somebody like that that needs some.

Speaker 2:

I appreciate that. Yeah, that's awesome. You know, matt, that's touch base on that. We can get you more in depth with Sean or Isaiah. You know, we actually have a track chair here in Minnesota, not too far away. Okay, you know so if we? Want to get someone out there. We can, we can come and yeah, that's something up and get some people out to hunt.

Speaker 5:

Sounds good, but thanks for the opportunity here. I appreciate it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I appreciate. Now you come on the podcast and talking about your experience and everything that's there. So, garrett, do you have any last Comments you'd like to make?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, just pertaining to that atomic fishing derby that Sean does there, same weekend as mine I have a walleye only contest on Lake Arbutus. I Donate all the money, all the proceeds, to our local volunteer fire department. I believe over the last five years I think I've gave them close to twenty thousand dollars. You get a group of guys that come up from HHO and I will pay for their entry fee. So that's a little extra boost for you to bring some of your fellas up there.

Speaker 4:

So but, I, yeah, I really enjoy this podcast. It was great. I think all you veterans that served and all the ones that are continuing to serve you guys give us what we have. So without you we would be probably in a little bit further Decline in what we are. But without veterans like you guys we get to do what we want to do because of you guys.

Speaker 2:

So I appreciate that very much totally appreciates you giving back and being able to share your passions with people that have never had that passion before and Know our biggest thing is, you know, sometimes they get yelled at. Know what? Chris, like you, got us out duck hunting and now I'm gonna be in debt forever because I got to buy a blind and some Decoys, and it just happens. But that's okay, I'd rather that. I'd rather have people here Experiencing the stuff in the outdoors and sharing it with others.

Speaker 2:

So really appreciate you and your time there I already bought a pair of heated waders and anticipation, so oh man see, yeah, another one for the another one to check in the box about a little bit more debt for another member. This is great, yeah. So I just want to thank everyone for coming on the podcast. You know and and your time, sean, you know to speak about the leadership change and everything. Wisconsin that really appreciate your time and the role and you've provided there. We know that, you know. You know sometimes things need to be re-evaluated personally and and In as an organization, but at the same time, that's not a bad thing. You know there's change is never a bad thing, and sometimes we need to reset ourselves, which is fine, and we see that constantly throughout the organization with other individuals and volunteering. We always tell people Family life is number one, your profession is number two. You got to pay the bills and then, number three, you got extra time you can volunteer. But if you don't have that time, it's okay. You know so that transitions fine, but we really appreciate everything that you have done as a state director and I think there's been a lot of good things have come of it To include the relationships that we're talking about on this podcast. So that's really awesome. But at the core, you know what you're doing with this trip is what we're here for and what to do. And it can be stressful to be in leadership position and trying to manage all that stuff because there's a lot of personality you have to manage, especially as volunteers. It's like hurting cats and I will continue to say that when you're managing volunteers, people who are not getting paid, there's nothing easy about it. So you have to be very, very aware of your communication skills with other individuals and how you treat people as huge. So it's not easy and it can be difficult. So appreciate that, sean. I know it's not easy and it was five years that Was probably not easy to do so. So I'm glad to hear that you know things are tapering off and you're just starting to enjoy the, the core aspects of why we're here. So I really appreciate that. But so for today's podcast, you know my bourbon is now empty, which tells me that. You know we're at an hour. You know it takes them about an hour for one bourbon and I am good to go for the the evening in the podcast and I appreciate everyone being here tonight.

Speaker 2:

But I do want to say that if you are a Veteran service member of the military, a law enforcement officer, ems or fire. If you're finding yourself in a position where you're having difficult, times might be dark on that day, or just need to talk to someone, please reach out. We are training applied suicide intervention skills, training throughout the organization, and we're here for you. This is what we're here for. Or you can contact 988. You can call that phone number. It's a suicide crisis line. There's always someone there. The answer, but I can guarantee you that someone in HHO will answer too. So please be mindful of that. But with that, thank you. Gentlemen. Appreciate you being here. We are on an hour exactly. I told you time goes fast. So appreciate you all and we will see everyone else the next podcast. Thank you, thank you.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the hometown hero outdoors podcast. For more information, visit our website at hometownherooutdoorsorg.

Speaker 2:

You.

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Christopher Tetrault

Host
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Phil Ewert

Producer