Hunting as a Tradition: The Shot That Started It All

1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:06,960 There's something about being in the woods before sunrise. The world hasn't quite woken up yet. The 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:12,040 air is cold, the ground is quiet. And somewhere out there in the darkness, there's an animal that 3 00:00:12,040 --> 00:00:18,440 spent its entire life learning how to avoid people like you. You might spend the next ten 4 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:24,640 hours looking for it. You might walk ten miles. You might freeze your tail off getting soaking wet, 5 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:30,480 and come home without ever laying eyes on the thing you went out there to find. And you know 6 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:37,280 what? You'll probably wake up tomorrow and do it all over again. Now, to somebody 7 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:42,879 who's never hunted, that might sound like a miserable way to spend a weekend. But to those of 8 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:47,480 us who have spent our lives doing it, there's something about that experience that's almost 9 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:54,280 impossible to put into words. And sometimes it's not until you've been doing it for 30 or 40 years 10 00:00:54,280 --> 00:01:00,130 that you really begin to understand why. Because when I think about some of the greatest hunts of 11 00:01:00,130 --> 00:01:05,889 my life. I don't necessarily remember the size of the animal, the distance of the shot, how many 12 00:01:05,889 --> 00:01:12,729 miles I walked. I remember my dad. I remember the lessons that he taught me and continues to 13 00:01:12,730 --> 00:01:17,969 teach me the opportunities he gave me, the times when he stepped aside so that I could have the 14 00:01:17,970 --> 00:01:24,609 first shot. And I remember the feeling of standing next to him when everything finally came together. 15 00:01:25,849 --> 00:01:32,849 And my guest today knows that feeling, but he is experiencing it from the other side now. Clay 16 00:01:32,889 --> 00:01:37,650 Hamblen has spent more than 30 years hunting. He's chased game across the country. He spent a season 17 00:01:37,650 --> 00:01:42,689 guiding elk hunters in the Colorado mountains, and accumulated the kind of stories that could keep a 18 00:01:42,730 --> 00:01:49,529 campfire burning until after sunrise. But ask him what makes him the happiest these days. 19 00:01:50,169 --> 00:01:54,609 It's watching his kids experience the very same things that made him fall in love with the 20 00:01:54,609 --> 00:01:59,470 outdoors in the first place. And Clay's family just had one of those hunting weekends that 21 00:01:59,470 --> 00:02:04,750 they'll be talking about for the rest of their lives. We've also got one of the strangest 22 00:02:04,750 --> 00:02:10,909 coincidences I've ever experienced in the field. Two hunters on opposite sides of the country, 23 00:02:10,910 --> 00:02:16,390 encountering something so unusual that I still can't quite believe that it happened on the same 24 00:02:16,390 --> 00:02:23,389 day. We'll get into that, along with the hunts that got away, the ones we're still dreaming about, and 25 00:02:23,390 --> 00:02:29,229 what it means to pass this tradition on to the next generation. But whether you're a lifelong 26 00:02:29,270 --> 00:02:34,629 hunter, somebody who's never picked up a rifle or a bow, or just somebody who understands the 27 00:02:34,630 --> 00:02:40,190 importance of getting away from the daily grind, I think there's something in this conversation for 28 00:02:40,190 --> 00:02:46,349 you, because sometimes the greatest thing you bring home from a hunt isn't something you can 29 00:02:46,350 --> 00:02:53,110 hang on the wall. It's a memory that you get to carry for the rest of your life. This is the 30 00:02:53,110 --> 00:02:57,120 Cypress Truck Lines podcast. Let's get into it. Let's. 31 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:06,080 Count down to the Cypress Trunk Lines podcast starts now. 32 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:15,360 Your number one professional flatbed podcast here to deliver stories, safety updates and company 33 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:20,120 news directly to your ears. Let's get down to business. 34 00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:30,840 How's the weather out there? Cypress and Sun belt. Welcome into another episode of the Cypress Truck 35 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:36,159 Lines podcast. I'm your host, Marcus. Thank you so much for being here with me today. To all of you 36 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:41,880 that went out there and clicked download on your favorite podcast platform, or maybe you went over 37 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:48,679 to our website podcast.Cypresstruck.com and click play. You're the reason that we do this and we 38 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:53,679 greatly appreciate you doing so. Now I'm going to keep the homework right here, the same as it's 39 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:58,739 been for weeks on end now because we do feel it moving the needle. And I know that you guys are 40 00:03:58,739 --> 00:04:03,939 out there doing the Lord's work for us. So all you gotta do, if you've ever gotten anything out of 41 00:04:03,939 --> 00:04:09,659 this podcast, maybe we made you laugh. Maybe we taught you something. Maybe you just learned 42 00:04:09,660 --> 00:04:15,299 something about the lure of the company that you never knew before. If any of those things or any 43 00:04:15,299 --> 00:04:21,499 other things move the needle for you. Ever tell a friend, tell somebody out there driving a cypress 44 00:04:21,500 --> 00:04:25,739 truck. Heck, tell somebody that you meet at the truck stop. Maybe they're hauling a different type 45 00:04:25,739 --> 00:04:30,458 of freight entirely. They might be able to get something out of the Cypress Truck Lines podcast, 46 00:04:30,459 --> 00:04:35,619 and who knows, maybe even some day they end up working right here beside you. You telling a 47 00:04:35,619 --> 00:04:41,018 friend that word of mouth helps us so much. And for those of you that are already out there doing 48 00:04:41,019 --> 00:04:46,979 that, we greatly appreciate it. And we do see what you're doing here. We track the numbers. We know 49 00:04:46,980 --> 00:04:51,540 that more people are starting to listen to this little podcast that could. And it's you guys that 50 00:04:51,540 --> 00:04:56,030 are out there that are making that happen for us. So thank you for that and thanks for checking out 51 00:04:56,030 --> 00:05:01,950 the website once again. podcast.cypresstruck.com. You can send me an email directly there, and I'd love 52 00:05:01,950 --> 00:05:06,309 to hear from you guys. If you want to hear something on this podcast or you want to come on 53 00:05:06,309 --> 00:05:11,510 this podcast, you know you're always welcome. Uh, if you're out there working under the Cypress and 54 00:05:11,510 --> 00:05:18,510 Sun Belt umbrella. So what are we getting into today? Well, in a word, hunting. But I 55 00:05:18,510 --> 00:05:23,350 think it's a little bit more than that because, you know, I've wanted to do a hunting episode on 56 00:05:23,350 --> 00:05:28,429 this show for quite some time, and I recognize that not everybody listening to this show is 57 00:05:28,430 --> 00:05:32,909 going to be a hunter. Uh, some of you have probably spent your whole lives in the woods. Others might 58 00:05:32,910 --> 00:05:38,790 think that it's a little crazy getting out of a perfectly warm bed at three in the morning to 59 00:05:38,829 --> 00:05:44,349 walk out into the freezing cold, the snow, the rain, whatever the case may be. And that's fair. I 60 00:05:44,350 --> 00:05:49,109 totally get it. Uh, sometimes when I think about my hunts kind of zoomed out and I look at what I'm 61 00:05:49,109 --> 00:05:54,369 going through and the week leading up and all the preparation and a seven and a half to eight hour 62 00:05:54,369 --> 00:05:59,690 drive just to get where I want to go. Hunting. I can see how somebody that doesn't do this would 63 00:05:59,690 --> 00:06:04,689 think that that is crazy and I respect it. But one of the things I hope comes through in this 64 00:06:04,689 --> 00:06:11,010 conversation is that hunting is about a whole lot more than just simply taking down an animal. 65 00:06:11,489 --> 00:06:17,209 It's about patience. It's about preparation. It's about respecting something that's bigger than you 66 00:06:17,209 --> 00:06:24,129 are. And for a lot of us, it's about family. Okay, I really can't say that. Uh, Clay Hamblen, somebody 67 00:06:24,129 --> 00:06:29,249 I've known through Cypress for quite a while now. And while I knew he was an avid outdoorsman. Uh, 68 00:06:29,249 --> 00:06:34,489 what I didn't fully appreciate until this conversation was just how deeply hunting is woven 69 00:06:34,489 --> 00:06:39,689 into his family's life, just like it is to mine. And the timing of this interview couldn't have 70 00:06:39,690 --> 00:06:44,970 been better. Both of us had just come off some pretty extraordinary experiences in the field 71 00:06:44,970 --> 00:06:51,609 that might even qualify for that once in a lifetime moniker. So today we're 72 00:06:51,609 --> 00:06:56,699 trading the usual trucking talk for a little campfire conversation. And let me tell you, it's a 73 00:06:56,700 --> 00:07:02,339 fantastic campfire conversation. And I hope that whether you're a hunter or not, you'll recognize 74 00:07:02,339 --> 00:07:08,779 something familiar in the reasons that we love doing what we do. It's not necessarily about the 75 00:07:08,780 --> 00:07:14,499 hunt itself. It's about breaking away from that daily grind. It's about getting away from 76 00:07:14,499 --> 00:07:19,259 everything that might be causing you stress and getting to somewhere where you don't feel that 77 00:07:19,260 --> 00:07:25,819 anymore. Maybe that's a hunt, maybe it's a race track, maybe it's the deep ocean blue. It can be 78 00:07:25,820 --> 00:07:31,179 anything for anybody. But today we're kind of focusing on the hunt. So let's get Clay Hamblen in 79 00:07:31,179 --> 00:07:33,500 here. Tell some campfire stories. 80 00:07:41,420 --> 00:07:47,499 All right. Welcome back into the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. Now, this episode, as I told you in 81 00:07:47,499 --> 00:07:52,759 the open, is very near and dear to my heart and I've been looking forward to it for a while. And, 82 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:58,160 uh, the, the guy joining me here actually had sort of a similar experience, and I feel like we should 83 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:02,599 buy a lottery ticket because of it here just a couple of weeks ago. But we'll get into that as we 84 00:08:02,599 --> 00:08:07,480 move forward through this interview. Uh, but please welcome Clay Hamblen back to the show. Clay, it's 85 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,719 been a while since we've had you on, man, but we always appreciate the time. Thank you so much for 86 00:08:11,719 --> 00:08:17,440 being back with us today. Appreciate it. Marcus. Looking forward to our discussion today. One of 87 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:22,320 the very first things that you and I ended up kind of down a rabbit hole about all the way back 88 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:28,119 when I was in Jacksonville, figuring out all the things I could learn about Cypress and Sun Belt. Uh, 89 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:32,558 you guys got out some, uh, some hunting pictures, and and you were showing them amongst yourselves. 90 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:38,319 And as I am want to do, I kind of eavesdropped on that conversation and became part of it because I 91 00:08:38,359 --> 00:08:44,079 of course, I'm a big hunter too, myself. Clay. Um, let's talk about it just from kind of the origins 92 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:49,639 here, going all the way back. Man hunting always seems to be a thing that is started, uh, with some 93 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:54,889 sort of family lineage, and I want to know how it all got started for you. When did you start? Who 94 00:08:54,890 --> 00:08:59,729 was the first one that put a gun and a bow, or a bow in your hand and sort of taught you how to 95 00:08:59,770 --> 00:09:06,369 hunt? Yeah. No doubt. So I grew up, um, you know, just west of Indianapolis and 96 00:09:06,369 --> 00:09:12,809 Indiana and, uh, really it was, uh, my uncles, uh, that really got me into the 97 00:09:12,809 --> 00:09:18,329 outdoors. Uh, my dad was big into fishing. So did a lot of fishing, you know, from the time I could 98 00:09:18,330 --> 00:09:24,849 walk on up. But, uh, it was probably, you know, around 8 or 9 years old when I really got into hunting 99 00:09:24,849 --> 00:09:31,489 with my uncles. So my Oberon, Uncle Steve, I used to spend, you know, a lot of weekends down there, 100 00:09:31,650 --> 00:09:37,409 deer hunting with them. And, uh, you know, they got me into it. And then I had a good friend of mine 101 00:09:37,409 --> 00:09:43,969 that, uh, I guess one of I was 11 years old. It was, um, 12 year old all 102 00:09:43,969 --> 00:09:50,789 Stars, I guess. Uh, and, uh, his name was Jake Powers. I had a bow I kind of dabbled in it, 103 00:09:50,830 --> 00:09:57,309 but he saw archery tournaments. And so as we got to, you know, playing baseball tournaments together, 104 00:09:57,310 --> 00:10:03,468 conversation got up. I can't exactly remember. But, uh, long story short, I ended up over at his house 105 00:10:03,550 --> 00:10:09,349 getting into, um, archery. And next thing you know, I'm, you know, shooting archery tournaments with 106 00:10:09,349 --> 00:10:15,389 him. Um, you know, join the archery club. And, uh, you know, that was a lot of fun. We spent all night 107 00:10:15,390 --> 00:10:22,109 long shooting, you know, just hundreds and thousands of shots. And, uh, so archery got in my 108 00:10:22,110 --> 00:10:27,870 blood, and, uh, the rest is history. And like I said, we we were fortunate enough to, uh, you know, we 109 00:10:27,870 --> 00:10:33,189 were in the suburbs, so, you know, we were just outside of Indianapolis, so, you know, in the 110 00:10:33,189 --> 00:10:38,829 country. And so we had hunting property, you know, right around us. And so it wasn't a big, you know, 111 00:10:39,309 --> 00:10:43,909 it didn't take a lot of travel to get there. Uh, so spent a lot of time in the woods and on the water 112 00:10:43,909 --> 00:10:49,840 growing up. I bet, man, I bet. And has it always been archery for you, clay? Or have you dabbled in the 113 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:56,079 rifle hunting as well? And what's your preference? Oh yeah. No, absolutely. So obviously when I was 114 00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:02,840 younger, I just, uh, would pretty much always take a bow to the, you know, to the woods with me, but, 115 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:08,079 um, you know, I'd still gone hunt gun season. Come in. You know, we we'd take shotguns. When I was 116 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:14,479 growing up, there wasn't, uh, rifle season. It was shotguns. Only in Indiana. So, you know, grew up 117 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:21,039 shotgun hunting and, uh, and archery hunting. And then, uh, as I got older and had kids, kind of put 118 00:11:21,039 --> 00:11:27,799 the bow away, um, and, uh, started getting them into hunting and of course, um, you know, pretty much 119 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:33,519 only gun hunted. And to be honest with you, just this past weekend, my, my oldest son killed his 120 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:40,120 first, uh, horses, his first deer with a bow. Uh, so that was good. And, um, so they're they're all into 121 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:46,939 archery, um, now, and and shooting a lot. And so now I'm sure they're, uh, they've got the, the itch 122 00:11:46,940 --> 00:11:53,940 now. And they're taking the bow, uh, to the stand with them. So it's it's carried on past it down. 123 00:11:53,940 --> 00:11:59,139 That's so cool. I bet that feels really great as a as a father, to see them get excited about it as a 124 00:11:59,139 --> 00:12:05,940 young age, just like you did. Absolutely, absolutely. It's, uh, man, it's it's probably my 125 00:12:05,940 --> 00:12:11,939 most enjoyable pastime. We're heavily involved in sports football, gymnastics, baseball, basketball. So 126 00:12:11,939 --> 00:12:18,539 we're a big sports family. Uh, but, man, there's not, uh, better memories that we've created, uh, with my 127 00:12:18,539 --> 00:12:25,379 kids. Um, then than in the outdoors, you know, hunting and fishing. You know, when I was, I 128 00:12:25,379 --> 00:12:31,580 want to say, about 13 years old, um, was was my first crack at a at a deer. Now, I'd been hunting 129 00:12:31,580 --> 00:12:37,219 for a couple of years. Uh, but I still remember that, like, it was yesterday. Uh, we didn't get many 130 00:12:37,219 --> 00:12:42,019 whitetail around the the places that I was hunting at the time. It was mostly mule deer. And 131 00:12:42,020 --> 00:12:48,389 here's this little three point whitetail out there laying in the field and it would not get up. 132 00:12:48,389 --> 00:12:54,909 And my very first shot at a live buck with my 243 feather light model 133 00:12:54,909 --> 00:13:01,269 clay, um, took one of the antlers clean off. I mean like an inch or two above the head. Just shot the 134 00:13:01,270 --> 00:13:06,548 antler clean off. Obviously. Didn't have a lot of practice at the time, but as I said, when that 135 00:13:06,549 --> 00:13:11,029 thing jumped up and tried to run off, I was able to I was able to drop it. And I remember it like 136 00:13:11,030 --> 00:13:16,789 it was yesterday. Tell me about the very first, uh, big game that you harvested clay. Was it a deer? 137 00:13:16,789 --> 00:13:23,629 And and how did it go? Yeah, yeah. So I was, uh, I guess I was 9 or 10, and, uh, it was 138 00:13:23,630 --> 00:13:29,869 actually my first one was with a bow. And, uh, that was after, you know, I got to shooting, um, getting 139 00:13:29,869 --> 00:13:36,510 into the archery tournaments and everything, and it was, uh, my Uncle Ron's property that he had. 140 00:13:36,510 --> 00:13:41,829 And, uh, back then, you know, you didn't have to have hunters head or anything like that. He'd say, hey, 141 00:13:41,869 --> 00:13:46,719 here's your stand over here. You know, you're walking in in the dark. And sure enough, a big 142 00:13:46,719 --> 00:13:53,439 mature doe came in and made it. Made a good shot on it and went and got my uncle. And we tracked it 143 00:13:53,440 --> 00:14:00,319 and found it. And that was, uh, that was the first one I'd ever harvested. And I bet you can you 144 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:05,200 can still almost feel the way that you felt deep down in your stomach when that thing went down, I. 145 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:08,959 That's why I say I remember it like it was yesterday. And. And the feeling I don't think 146 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:14,159 really changes, right? At least for me, every single time I get out there. And I have the ability to 147 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:19,560 harvest something and I, you know, I make a good shot and everything falls into place. The feeling 148 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:25,239 that I still get in my stomach is the same feeling that 13 year old Marcus got. And, um, I 149 00:14:25,239 --> 00:14:30,320 think it's that way for everybody, you know? My dad and I took down, uh, a couple of cow elk on back to 150 00:14:30,359 --> 00:14:36,399 back days here just a few weeks ago, uh, out here in Oregon. And, you know, of course, the first thing 151 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:40,560 we do after that thing goes down and we know it's on the ground is grab each other and give each 152 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:47,099 other a big hug, and you can feel the energy coming off of somebody after they're able to. To 153 00:14:47,140 --> 00:14:53,219 do that because it's so many feelings, it's, hey, I finally beat this thing that beats me every time 154 00:14:53,219 --> 00:14:59,298 I come out here. I've now got meat in the fridge. When times are tough, I get to do this with my 155 00:14:59,299 --> 00:15:05,699 family, which is always just so important. Um, you you still get that same feeling deep down inside, 156 00:15:05,900 --> 00:15:11,659 as it's still just as exciting as it was for nine year old Clay. Oh my gosh. Yeah. It's, uh, it's 157 00:15:11,699 --> 00:15:17,299 actually ten times better now that I have kids too. So to be honest with you, since my kids, my 158 00:15:17,300 --> 00:15:22,819 oldest daughter has been old enough to hunt, um, I haven't done as much hunt. I'm hunting vicariously 159 00:15:22,819 --> 00:15:28,939 through them. So, you know, we, uh, we spend a ton of time in the woods, but with four kids, you know, I'm 160 00:15:28,940 --> 00:15:35,059 constantly having to juggle. I can only take so many at one time, you know? So. But just, you know, 161 00:15:35,260 --> 00:15:40,939 teaching them the right way for me. You know, we we live off a deer meat. I mean, we, you know, we 162 00:15:40,980 --> 00:15:45,668 harvest, uh, you know, a certain amount every year. It makes us through till the next year. And 163 00:15:45,669 --> 00:15:52,589 there's nothing more healthy, you know, for you than than lean deer meat. And, um, and so we, we, we 164 00:15:52,590 --> 00:15:59,469 consume a lot. And with a family of six, it, it takes a few to, to make it. Man. Um, but know 165 00:15:59,469 --> 00:16:04,309 as far as that feeling is, I, I used to get so fired up and excited about it. And like you said, 166 00:16:04,310 --> 00:16:09,109 you go so many times of weather, you're not seeing anything or you don't get an opportunity. When you 167 00:16:09,110 --> 00:16:15,868 finally get the opportunity and it all comes together, it's super rewarding. And so now my kids 168 00:16:15,869 --> 00:16:21,149 are diehard. They love it every chance they get. You know, they're asking me to skip school. Can you 169 00:16:21,150 --> 00:16:26,229 take off work? Can you do this? I'm like, oh, we're gonna have to wait, you know? But yeah, there was 170 00:16:26,229 --> 00:16:31,349 multiple times where I'd have them all three in the blind or, you know, doing, you know, whatever we 171 00:16:31,349 --> 00:16:35,909 can to get them out there. But now they're getting old enough. And my wife, she's a city slicker now. 172 00:16:35,909 --> 00:16:42,049 So me and her grew up completely different. You know, uh, her family, you know, hunted. But she never 173 00:16:42,049 --> 00:16:48,929 did. And she's just kind of a was a city slicker. And, um, she's adapted. Uh, so to 174 00:16:48,969 --> 00:16:54,729 be honest, with this, this last weekend, we had an exceptional weekend, kind of a, uh, epic weekend. It 175 00:16:54,729 --> 00:16:59,689 was you season in Georgia. We ran up there. The hurricane came through kind of the perfect storm. 176 00:16:59,689 --> 00:17:04,409 The weather conditions were right. You know, my oldest, you know, harvested his first one with a 177 00:17:04,410 --> 00:17:11,329 bow. I mean, he's he's shot a lot of deer, but this was his first archery, uh, kill. And then, um, my mil, 178 00:17:11,649 --> 00:17:18,529 uh, son, uh, went with my wife. Lindsay took her to the stand, and, um, they were 179 00:17:18,530 --> 00:17:23,568 able to to harvest the doe as well. And so that was the first time she'd been on the hunt, uh, with 180 00:17:23,569 --> 00:17:30,089 one of our kids and got to actually, um, you know, see it happen and experience that. And then I was 181 00:17:30,089 --> 00:17:36,729 with my daughter and, um, and my youngest son, uh, so my 15 year old and my nine year old 182 00:17:36,730 --> 00:17:43,060 and, um, which I know we were going to touch on this, but yeah. Let's talk. We had a piebald doe in 183 00:17:43,060 --> 00:17:49,579 this area, so my nine year old is like obsessed with, hey, we got to get this piebald doe, you know, 184 00:17:49,579 --> 00:17:56,019 and we had an opportunity a couple weekends ago at it. And so he's he's been holding out for that. 185 00:17:56,020 --> 00:18:02,059 And then my daughter she was waiting for, for a, uh, a big buck. And, uh, just so happened the piebald 186 00:18:02,060 --> 00:18:08,060 doe didn't show out to show up, but the big buck did. And, uh, it was quite the experience. So that 187 00:18:08,060 --> 00:18:14,938 was all on Saturday evening. So first archery kill Lincoln and Lindsey, and then, uh, Kenley with 188 00:18:14,939 --> 00:18:21,339 her, her big one that she harvested. So we had a unbelievable Saturday evening and, uh, something 189 00:18:21,339 --> 00:18:26,459 we're going to remember for the rest of our lives, man. And I saw a picture of that buck. What a 190 00:18:26,459 --> 00:18:32,099 fantastic looking animal that is. I mean, there's only so many young kids that'll ever get a shot 191 00:18:32,099 --> 00:18:37,899 to even, uh, set up and and have a look at that thing through binoculars, let alone actually get 192 00:18:37,899 --> 00:18:44,879 to take a shot at it. So, uh. Fantastic job there is, dad. Uh, bringing her along and, uh, and getting a 193 00:18:44,879 --> 00:18:50,239 shot at that because it's a lot like you say, um, you're kind of hunting vicariously through your 194 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:55,600 kids now. My dad has always been the guy that taught me. Of course, my uncles were very 195 00:18:55,600 --> 00:19:02,159 instrumental in that as well. Just like yours were. Yeah. Um, but my dad, ever since I can remember. And 196 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:08,159 he doesn't owe me this at all. At 42 years old, which I am now, Clay. But he's always been. Ever 197 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:15,160 since I started packing a weapon out there. Out there to get me a chance first. And it's only 198 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:20,999 on the times when we haven't been together. And he spotted something that he'll shoot first. He 199 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:27,318 always wants me to get that opportunity first. And, um, I think that that just kind of illustrates a 200 00:19:27,319 --> 00:19:32,319 little bit of how good it can feel when your kids are the ones that can go out there and be 201 00:19:32,319 --> 00:19:38,529 successful. Because just like my dad, you know what it takes to go out there, All these years later, 202 00:19:38,529 --> 00:19:44,609 you've been beat. You've been beaten down probably a few times. You felt like, man, am I ever going to 203 00:19:44,609 --> 00:19:49,769 have another shot at this. So when your kids get a shot at it, it's like a double win for you, isn't 204 00:19:49,770 --> 00:19:56,209 it? No doubt. No, absolutely. And I the same with my dad. My dad actually when I got into it, he got 205 00:19:56,209 --> 00:20:02,969 into it. Right. And so he's been a, uh, diehard, um, you know, Hunter ever since I 206 00:20:02,970 --> 00:20:08,089 started hunting. And so that, uh, and that that was, you know, me and me and dad have had a ton of good 207 00:20:08,090 --> 00:20:14,530 experiences over the years, and he's the same way, uh, you know, he's just put me in in position to, uh, 208 00:20:14,530 --> 00:20:20,329 you know, whether it's through friends and finding property to hunt and things of that nature and 209 00:20:20,329 --> 00:20:26,050 getting me my first climber and just, you know, all the archery equipment and hunting equipment. I 210 00:20:26,050 --> 00:20:31,649 mean, it's expensive. It's not a it's not a cheap thing, you know, to do. Um, but I can't think of a 211 00:20:31,649 --> 00:20:38,509 better pastime. And, you know, as a kid, you know, reflecting back, I look back and think about how 212 00:20:38,509 --> 00:20:45,349 much time I spent. You know, um, on the water and in the woods and, you know, it's just another avenue 213 00:20:45,349 --> 00:20:50,389 to keep you out of trouble, keep you focused. Things of that nature. And so same with my kids, 214 00:20:50,390 --> 00:20:57,030 you know, and that's, um. I'm so thankful that all of them, uh, enjoy it so much because, like I said, 215 00:20:57,030 --> 00:21:02,670 every opportunity that we have, which is limited, um, we're out there doing it, and I want them to do 216 00:21:02,670 --> 00:21:08,029 it the right way, too, you know, because, uh, you want to be ethical about it? Yes. Uh, so they spend a lot 217 00:21:08,069 --> 00:21:12,949 of time shooting their bows, shooting guns. You know, we go to the range, obviously spend a 218 00:21:12,949 --> 00:21:18,349 considerable amount of time at our guns. And to make sure that when that opportunity does happen, 219 00:21:18,550 --> 00:21:22,829 uh, because that's the other part of it, you might get the opportunity, but afterwards, you gotta you 220 00:21:22,829 --> 00:21:28,789 still gotta find it, you know? And, um, so I was thankful for, for Kenley, you know, we were able to, 221 00:21:28,829 --> 00:21:34,709 you know, shoot three and we recovered three. And so that's, you know, something I'm proud of, too, 222 00:21:34,750 --> 00:21:39,999 that all three of them were able to make good ethical, you know, shots. Yeah, it's so important. And 223 00:21:39,999 --> 00:21:44,519 learning it at such a young age will give them such a respect for the game. And I think that 224 00:21:44,519 --> 00:21:49,519 that's and when I say the game I don't mean the game of hunting, I mean the wildlife. I think 225 00:21:49,519 --> 00:21:54,239 that's what's really important is. Yeah. Um, you know, when, when my wife first came out on a hunt 226 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:59,719 here, I, it's probably within the last 5 or 6, maybe ten years that she first came out. And she doesn't 227 00:21:59,719 --> 00:22:04,560 ever pack a, a gun. She just comes out there because she wants to be out in the wilderness. And 228 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:09,519 that was one of the biggest things that I wanted to convey to her is, hey, you know, part there's 229 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:15,718 parts of this that are, uh, not for the faint of heart, right? What the the taking the shot is the 230 00:22:15,719 --> 00:22:22,119 easiest part that's going to happen in the next 24 hours. In the case of my dad and I, over these 231 00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:27,680 last couple of weeks, you know, we've got two multiple hundred pound cow elk that we've got to 232 00:22:27,719 --> 00:22:31,879 process now. We've got to field dress those. We've got to skin them. We've got to get them to the 233 00:22:31,879 --> 00:22:37,819 butcher. It's hard work in developing that respect at a young age. I think is really important for 234 00:22:37,819 --> 00:22:44,419 kids because that's what they pass down when they have kids. Is that respect and and that, 235 00:22:44,419 --> 00:22:51,379 um, I guess those those ethics that you teach them. Clay, it's just so important I. Every animal I've 236 00:22:51,380 --> 00:22:56,379 ever, I've ever taken down, I always go over and just have a quick moment with it to say thank you. 237 00:22:56,380 --> 00:23:01,339 And I know some people think that that's stupid, or some people think that that's, uh, overkill or 238 00:23:01,339 --> 00:23:06,899 being dramatic. But for me, it helps me remember that this thing has beaten me. I mean, I've been 239 00:23:06,939 --> 00:23:13,299 hunting elk for 30 plus years. I now have three of them on the ground, and one of them is a cow. And 240 00:23:13,300 --> 00:23:18,739 that was because we had a damage tag and we needed meat in the fridge. So my my batting 241 00:23:18,739 --> 00:23:24,099 average with elk is way below the Mendoza Line. I'm getting cut from every triple A team if 242 00:23:24,099 --> 00:23:28,859 you're looking at that success rate. And so to me, that's always been something that's so important, 243 00:23:28,859 --> 00:23:34,469 and especially with the youth and my my nephews are hunting now, and it's their conversations that 244 00:23:34,469 --> 00:23:39,709 we have out there in the woods that are, I think, really valuable and on more stages than just 245 00:23:39,709 --> 00:23:45,150 hunting. These are lessons that they will learn about life in general. That will help as as time 246 00:23:45,150 --> 00:23:50,469 goes on. Yeah. No question. I think, uh, you know, there's a right and a wrong way to do everything. 247 00:23:50,469 --> 00:23:55,910 And it's been important to me to, you know, pass that on the kids. And again, it's, um, you know, even 248 00:23:55,910 --> 00:24:01,589 when you don't, you're out there more often than not, not harvesting something. Right? It's all those 249 00:24:01,589 --> 00:24:07,550 times that build up to make that that much more exciting. But, you know, just getting out there, you 250 00:24:07,550 --> 00:24:13,109 know, it's it's our retreat to get away from the everyday grind. You know, that we're in that I 251 00:24:13,109 --> 00:24:17,749 can't tell you how many times you know that I've been in a tree stand with my kids or whatever, and 252 00:24:17,750 --> 00:24:24,709 I'm taking a safety call, you know, or, you know, working from the stand, you know, um, because there 253 00:24:24,709 --> 00:24:29,068 is no downtime. And what I do personally, you know, you never know when I'm going to need to take a 254 00:24:29,069 --> 00:24:35,730 phone call or an important phone call. So anyways, uh, the kids, uh, really enjoy it. And, uh, again, 255 00:24:35,730 --> 00:24:40,409 that's my favorite time is my time in the outdoors with them and just being able to get out 256 00:24:40,410 --> 00:24:46,369 of the city. You know, we live in, you know, basically downtown Jacksonville. So, you know, any 257 00:24:46,369 --> 00:24:52,649 chance we get to to get away it's a it's a good time for sure. For sure. Now I know that there's 258 00:24:52,649 --> 00:24:56,448 been some there's some people listening to this right now that are like, hey, get back to that 259 00:24:56,449 --> 00:25:01,130 piebald story. I've never heard that word before. I want to know what the heck you guys are talking 260 00:25:01,130 --> 00:25:07,848 about. And, uh, this connection that Clay and I had here on completely opposite sides of the United 261 00:25:07,849 --> 00:25:13,889 States is really quite astounding when you really break it down and think about it. So first and 262 00:25:13,889 --> 00:25:19,649 foremost, what a piebald animal is. You're going to see this, uh, genetic mutation in some ungulates 263 00:25:19,649 --> 00:25:25,688 like deer and elk. And if you've ever seen an Appaloosa horse or you might know that horse as a 264 00:25:25,689 --> 00:25:31,380 paint horse, um, that's kind of what it looks like. It looks like somebody threw a bucket of white 265 00:25:31,380 --> 00:25:38,379 paint just kind of haphazardly on the animal, and it is a pretty rare genetic mutation now. I'll be 266 00:25:38,379 --> 00:25:43,819 honest with you. I didn't look up the, uh, the numbers for deer clay, but my cousin is a wildlife 267 00:25:43,819 --> 00:25:50,339 biologist up in Washington state, and he got in touch with us now. My dad killed a piebald 268 00:25:50,339 --> 00:25:56,618 cow just a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday. We got in touch with my cousin, and he told us that 269 00:25:56,660 --> 00:26:03,339 one in every 250,000 head of elk will show that genetic mutation. I 270 00:26:03,420 --> 00:26:09,139 can't imagine it's any more or any less rare for deer. It's probably somewhere right in the same 271 00:26:09,140 --> 00:26:15,419 wheelhouse there. But Clay and I, my dad shot this cow, uh, on the same 272 00:26:15,420 --> 00:26:22,339 Saturday that you guys first saw that piebald doe walk in that your son wanted so bad. And you 273 00:26:22,339 --> 00:26:27,579 want to talk about a lottery ticket day? I was so excited. You know, Matt Penland and Thad Penland 274 00:26:27,580 --> 00:26:33,429 both told me before I went on my hunt. Hey, we want a rundown of that hunt after you get it. And I was 275 00:26:33,430 --> 00:26:39,189 given Matt the rundown, and he. He starts laughing and I said, what's so funny? He says, I don't want 276 00:26:39,189 --> 00:26:43,989 to one up you, man, but I gotta show you this picture Clay sent me, and he shows me the picture 277 00:26:43,990 --> 00:26:48,709 of the piebald doe that you guys got, which, I mean, you guys were right on top of it. You could have 278 00:26:48,709 --> 00:26:53,108 reached out and grabbed that thing. From what I understand, you couldn't even draw a bow. Yeah. 279 00:26:53,189 --> 00:26:57,910 Unbelievable. It came up on the right side of the stand. I'm like you. It's like, is this really 280 00:26:57,910 --> 00:27:02,870 happening? And so I'm like you, Marcus. I guess we're the same age. But I've been hunting over 30 281 00:27:02,870 --> 00:27:09,510 years now, and, uh, in my 30 years of hunting, I've seen three, right. Three 282 00:27:09,510 --> 00:27:15,349 Bibles, which is, which is crazy in itself, but two from the same property. So I'm sure some of that's 283 00:27:15,350 --> 00:27:22,149 genetic from from where we're at. Um, but yeah, it it caught me off guard because we had 284 00:27:22,189 --> 00:27:29,129 deer in front of us, and I had Kenley and, uh, and Lincoln in the stand with me and we're 285 00:27:29,129 --> 00:27:34,209 in a, you know, double stand. Three of us, you know, packed in there. And Lincoln had his bow. Kinley 286 00:27:34,209 --> 00:27:40,409 had her crossbow. And unfortunately, it came up on the right side. Um, and we had some other deer in 287 00:27:40,410 --> 00:27:45,369 front of us, so we really couldn't move, and Lincoln couldn't get up. You know, the turn. And it 288 00:27:45,370 --> 00:27:50,489 was weird. The other deer were, like, freaked out by this deer. I don't know if it was because it was 289 00:27:50,490 --> 00:27:56,689 piebald or not, but anyways, those other deer watching the piebald deer and you know, they 290 00:27:56,689 --> 00:28:03,169 spooked and then it, you know, that ended up taking off at it. It was right there within range 291 00:28:03,209 --> 00:28:09,849 archery range. Uh, for probably five minutes. You know which. Wow. Made me sick. You know, we had that 292 00:28:09,849 --> 00:28:15,769 opportunity and probably never going to get an opportunity again, you know? Yeah. That's why it's a 293 00:28:15,770 --> 00:28:21,569 real buy a lottery ticket day. Uh, you were in Georgia. I was out in northeast Oregon. Uh, and we 294 00:28:21,569 --> 00:28:27,259 were both having the same experience. Now, I will say, I think that we got, uh, you know, we had the 295 00:28:27,260 --> 00:28:32,660 luck of actually getting to take a shot at that. And my dad in his, in his age, I'll say this about 296 00:28:32,660 --> 00:28:38,020 him. That guy doesn't miss with that 300 Winchester Magnum that he packs. And he certainly 297 00:28:38,020 --> 00:28:44,859 didn't miss this one. Um, but, you know, he's been hunting 50 plus years and has never once 298 00:28:44,860 --> 00:28:50,619 seen one in the wild. I've been hunting for 30 plus years. I've never seen one in the wild. Uh, for 299 00:28:50,620 --> 00:28:55,219 the fact for it to happen to us on the same day. And then we get to come on this podcast and talk 300 00:28:55,259 --> 00:29:00,739 about it really feels like we both should have bought a Powerball ticket, huh? No doubt, no doubt. I 301 00:29:00,739 --> 00:29:06,899 agree it was a cool experience. I really wish, uh, we could have, uh, could have got it. But, uh, kudos 302 00:29:06,899 --> 00:29:11,659 to you guys for making it happen and then bringing it home with you. Well, I'll tell you this, 303 00:29:11,660 --> 00:29:16,778 uh, we could have sneezed and farted and and gotten sick to our stomach at 350 yards. She 304 00:29:16,779 --> 00:29:21,139 probably wouldn't have noticed us. So that's the one advantage that we have out there with the the 305 00:29:21,139 --> 00:29:28,079 rifle. You know, uh, and this is cool, too. We we never get to hunt elk in the rut over here and in 306 00:29:28,079 --> 00:29:32,279 the rut. For those of you that are listening, that aren't hunters is just that's when they're 307 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:38,399 breeding. And that is when, uh, elk and deer during that time of the year, the the bulls and the bucks, 308 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:42,919 they don't care about anything else. You could walk right up to them. They don't care. They're 309 00:29:42,919 --> 00:29:47,239 looking for a fight and they're looking for something else. And I don't have to be descriptive 310 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:53,120 with you on that. You know what it is? Um, this is actually the first time because I had this damage 311 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:59,439 tag. It was a cow tag. It's designed to try to haze the elk off of the farmer's property because, uh, 312 00:29:59,479 --> 00:30:05,679 in the the situation, we were in clay, there's 700 acres of alfalfa, and they've got a bunch of head 313 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:09,839 of cattle that they're trying to get back into this field to finish them so they can go to the 314 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:15,478 butcher towards the end of the year. Um, and there's a herd of 200 elk out there eating all of 315 00:30:15,479 --> 00:30:21,359 this very valuable alfalfa. So the hunters would be happy if we drove through the field in an F150 316 00:30:21,359 --> 00:30:27,729 and hit as many of them as we could. Uh, but we're only able to take one. And, uh, it was really cool 317 00:30:27,769 --> 00:30:32,889 because we get out there before dark. We're sitting there looking at all 700 acres. You can't 318 00:30:32,889 --> 00:30:39,809 see anything, but you roll the windows down. And it was just bugle after bugle after bugle 319 00:30:39,810 --> 00:30:45,568 and cow calls chirping at each other. And as the light starts to come up, you start to see these 320 00:30:45,569 --> 00:30:50,089 bulls and they're chasing cows all over. And when I say cows, I'm talking cow elk here. Just so 321 00:30:50,089 --> 00:30:55,889 nobody gets confused. They're chasing these cows all over. They're out there playing around and, uh, 322 00:30:55,969 --> 00:31:01,130 you know, it's it's a distracting time of the year for them. And I've never gotten to see that before. 323 00:31:01,289 --> 00:31:07,209 Uh, you know, first hand, because that's archery season. You guys have to get close to them to be 324 00:31:07,209 --> 00:31:13,410 able to take down an elk with a bow and arrow is a pretty big feat. It's a big animal. Um, have you 325 00:31:13,410 --> 00:31:19,089 ever gotten to go out and hunt elk with your bow before and get as close to some elk as you were 326 00:31:19,089 --> 00:31:26,069 those deer over that weekend? Clay. Yeah. So, um, funny thing is, I was, uh, when I came out 327 00:31:26,069 --> 00:31:32,270 of college, so, again, I was a football player. I, I got cut from the the Bengals, um, finished at 328 00:31:32,270 --> 00:31:37,829 Georgetown College. So that was another whole thing. You know, where I went to school at, uh, in 329 00:31:37,829 --> 00:31:44,429 Georgetown. I spent four years and had phenomenal property all around me, right close to campus. 330 00:31:44,430 --> 00:31:50,389 So, you know, I, I did a lot of hunting through through college to well, I was introduced to a, to 331 00:31:50,389 --> 00:31:57,389 a gentleman who asked me if I wanted to, uh, come out and be a hunting guide, uh, and just northeast 332 00:31:57,429 --> 00:32:03,509 of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. And so I ended up pursuing an opportunity professionally. Uh, 333 00:32:03,510 --> 00:32:09,469 football wise. Well, I got cut from the Bengals, and then I got picked up by the Orlando Predators, 334 00:32:09,469 --> 00:32:16,349 which is when arena one was was good. Well, arena one folded. So that was 2008. And um, so 335 00:32:16,350 --> 00:32:20,988 then I was kind of left out in limbo, like my whole plan, you know, when you're young and you're, 336 00:32:21,030 --> 00:32:25,999 you know, 21, 22 years old, you're thinking, oh, I'm going to go play professionally. Well, then, when it 337 00:32:25,999 --> 00:32:32,759 doesn't plan out, I wasn't really prepared, uh, to put my college degree to use, you know? 338 00:32:32,959 --> 00:32:39,719 And so I had this opportunity, uh, with no responsibility to go out to Colorado and be a 339 00:32:39,719 --> 00:32:45,760 hunting guide. And so I wasn't able to be the hunter, but I was able to guide. So I learned a lot, 340 00:32:45,839 --> 00:32:52,519 um, you know, with was guiding people, uh, on the mountain that we were on, I mean, horseback and all, 341 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:58,559 you know, we take them out. Um, you know, I was really good at Turkey. Call them at the time. So, 342 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:05,399 you know, learning how to, you know, uh, call elk was not difficult for me. Um, and 343 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:11,759 so, but that elevation and just the work amount of work, I was in the best shape of my life. Uh, but 344 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:16,839 I'll tell you what. You know, we were up at 3 a.m. every morning, and we were the last ones to go to 345 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:22,179 bed. Sometimes we never went to sleep. It just depends on, you know, what we harvested that day? 346 00:33:22,220 --> 00:33:29,059 When I say all that to say this, I had a ton of experiences through other people. Archery season, 347 00:33:29,060 --> 00:33:35,020 gun season. But yeah, I'd call them in and, uh, you know, people from all over the country would come 348 00:33:35,020 --> 00:33:40,699 in and, you know, it was my job to give them a good experience. And then I made my money through tips. 349 00:33:40,859 --> 00:33:47,139 That's so cool, man. What a what an awesome job. And what a great experience. Uh, I imagine the first 350 00:33:47,140 --> 00:33:52,020 time you ever bugle the big bull in for somebody to get a crack at that was pretty exhilarating, 351 00:33:52,020 --> 00:33:56,619 because they will walk right up to you, uh, during the rut, when they're when they're hearing other 352 00:33:56,620 --> 00:34:01,659 bugles, they're looking for a fight. So, uh, do you remember that first time you ever got one to come 353 00:34:01,660 --> 00:34:08,499 in close? Oh, yeah. Yeah. No doubt. Um, we were, um, it was a big six by six, you know, that's how 354 00:34:08,499 --> 00:34:13,859 you you you judge bulls, you know, depending on how many points on each side. So for those of you that 355 00:34:13,860 --> 00:34:18,779 don't know, but, you know, big old bull came in, uh, they were coming out of the meadows, so they were 356 00:34:18,780 --> 00:34:23,229 going up to the dark timber. So, like you said, the sun's coming up. You know, they're going to start 357 00:34:23,229 --> 00:34:28,469 working their way up into the dark timber. So we got ourselves in position, ended up calling a big 358 00:34:28,469 --> 00:34:33,709 bull in. And, uh, the guy was able to make a good shot on that. And that was the first experience I 359 00:34:33,709 --> 00:34:39,629 had. And it was a big six by six. And, you know, I think it was, you know, 320 something like that 360 00:34:39,710 --> 00:34:44,509 score. And, uh, a pretty cool experience. And of course, I had to act like I've been guiding my 361 00:34:44,510 --> 00:34:51,269 whole life, you know? So, uh, so I played the part pretty good, but it it came natural to 362 00:34:51,269 --> 00:34:58,188 me, and, um, and so anyways, we ended up having to pack it out, and we, uh, we had a great, 363 00:34:58,230 --> 00:35:02,829 I mean, a great season. You know, we we harvested a lot of elk. A lot of people get experience and 364 00:35:02,830 --> 00:35:06,869 then get people out there that had no clue what they were doing. And that was, you know, a whole 365 00:35:06,870 --> 00:35:13,469 nother ball game. But, uh, it was a good experience for sure. And, um, I did it for one season and 366 00:35:13,470 --> 00:35:19,369 then, um, then it was time to get my life in order. Yeah, I hear you. And you might think you're in 367 00:35:19,370 --> 00:35:23,929 shape. You might think you're ready for the for the challenge. Until somebody straps an elk hind 368 00:35:23,969 --> 00:35:29,169 quarter on your back. Right. Clay. That's a that's a different experience. If you've spent your life 369 00:35:29,170 --> 00:35:34,889 packing deer out of the woods, and all of a sudden somebody hands you one quarter of an animal that 370 00:35:34,930 --> 00:35:40,769 weighs as much as a deer. Uh, it can be a grueling experience, especially if you got to pack them out 371 00:35:40,770 --> 00:35:45,409 of some of the hell holes that elk can work their way into, man. And I'm sure you got plenty of 372 00:35:45,409 --> 00:35:50,448 experience up there in the mountains in Colorado with that. Yeah, there's not enough time in the day 373 00:35:50,449 --> 00:35:56,569 or this podcast to explain all the experiences and stories I had from that one year. So it was, uh, 374 00:35:56,770 --> 00:36:03,570 it was crazy to say the least. I wonder, uh, Clay, you know, I've I've been very fortunate in my life. 375 00:36:03,570 --> 00:36:10,209 I spent, um, 30 years applying for an antelope tag over here in Oregon and finally got one a couple 376 00:36:10,250 --> 00:36:16,369 of years ago, uh, went out for five days to hunt out in the kind of central Oregon where the Great 377 00:36:16,370 --> 00:36:23,019 Basin range comes up into the state of Oregon. Um, spent five days, didn't see a single bit of 378 00:36:23,019 --> 00:36:29,019 fur. And finally, on the last day, we had a farmer agree to let us go into his alfalfa field, and I 379 00:36:29,019 --> 00:36:35,299 was able to tag an antelope. And that up to that point was sort of my white whale when it came to 380 00:36:35,340 --> 00:36:40,099 hunting. Because at 20 something, you're just applying for this tag and you're not thinking 381 00:36:40,100 --> 00:36:45,378 about it when you hit 40 and you still haven't drawn the tag yet, you start to wonder if it's 382 00:36:45,379 --> 00:36:52,138 ever going to happen. And it finally did. And I, I looked at that as sort of my white whale. And now 383 00:36:52,139 --> 00:36:56,099 that I've accomplished that one, I've got a different white whale, which I'll tell you about. 384 00:36:56,100 --> 00:37:02,579 But I wonder, as a 30 year experienced hunter with guide experience, you've you've been, you know, 385 00:37:02,620 --> 00:37:07,619 around the country, hunted a bunch of different stuff. What do you think the white whale is for 386 00:37:07,620 --> 00:37:13,299 you? Clay? What do you really want? One crack at, uh, before the knees. Don't let you get out there in 387 00:37:13,299 --> 00:37:19,719 the bush anymore. Man. That's a that's a tough question. I got a lot of, uh, 388 00:37:19,959 --> 00:37:26,359 things that I still want to pursue, but, um, uh, a guy that I work with, uh, John Denver, a huge 389 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:33,199 outdoorsman. Um, he's been asking me to go on this, uh, Canadian trip. Um, you know, moose, elk. 390 00:37:33,479 --> 00:37:39,799 Uh, they they they harvest big whitetail up there, too. But, um, I missed another opportunity this year. 391 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:46,678 He begged me to go, and, uh, you know, I passed on to just me and my. My schedule's so busy, you know, and 392 00:37:46,679 --> 00:37:50,959 it's tough to get away from the family, and I'm. I'm going to wait till my kids are old enough or, 393 00:37:50,999 --> 00:37:57,439 you know, to where I can take them on on that trip. Um, but, uh, probably, probably that moose hunt. You 394 00:37:57,439 --> 00:38:02,479 know, I would really like to, to take advantage of that. It's sitting in my lap and I just hasn't, 395 00:38:02,519 --> 00:38:09,039 haven't been able to to do it yet. So, uh, you're, you're equal parts excited and nervous about that 396 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:13,999 moose hindquarters that might get put on your back. Because we talk about how big elk are, man, 397 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:19,489 you could fit three elk inside of a good sized moose. Right. That's right. Yep. Yep. The biggest deer 398 00:38:19,489 --> 00:38:24,889 in, uh, in the world right there is the main battle. I think that'd be a good experience. Never had the 399 00:38:24,889 --> 00:38:30,889 opportunity to go up and hunt Canada. But, you know, I've had some incredible experiences with the 400 00:38:30,889 --> 00:38:35,888 penguins, too. Man, you know I can't leave them out. They've. You know, I've been out there on the North 401 00:38:35,889 --> 00:38:42,168 Platte. Uh, Matt Penland and and Aaron, uh, Penland. You know, they played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. 402 00:38:42,169 --> 00:38:48,729 Well, they fell into some incredible property well before I was even married to Lindsay. Um, and we 403 00:38:48,730 --> 00:38:54,329 were dating, you know, my brother in law, David Penland, the third. We played football together. Uh, 404 00:38:54,330 --> 00:39:01,169 they invited me out on a, uh, epic waterfowl trip out there on the North Platte. And, uh, 405 00:39:01,209 --> 00:39:05,928 I'll tell you what, I, I've done a lot of waterfowl hunting, and I've never experienced anything like 406 00:39:05,929 --> 00:39:12,809 this. It was absolutely insane. And those were some of the best trips I'd been on. Uh, but, 407 00:39:12,809 --> 00:39:18,178 uh, again, you know, I've, I've had some really, really good hunting trips with with the penguins, 408 00:39:18,179 --> 00:39:23,979 too, and, uh, the rabid out outdoorsman as well. Yeah. You know, I got to talking to Matt a little bit 409 00:39:23,979 --> 00:39:30,619 about waterfowl. Uh, I hunted a lot of ducks and geese as a kid. Uh, back home in enterprise, uh, 410 00:39:30,620 --> 00:39:35,498 Oregon, up in the mountains. It's kind of right on the migratory path for Canadian geese and 411 00:39:35,580 --> 00:39:41,259 mallards and all sorts of other ducks out there. And, uh, you know, earlier we talked a little bit 412 00:39:41,259 --> 00:39:45,700 about, uh, being a dad and kind of having that instinct where it's the kids are going to shoot 413 00:39:45,700 --> 00:39:49,859 first. We're going to get we're going to get the kids the opportunities. And of course, I had my 414 00:39:49,860 --> 00:39:55,938 uncles that were, uh, pretty instrumental in my hunting upbringing. And, uh, you know, by the time I 415 00:39:55,939 --> 00:40:02,819 was 15 or 16, Clay, I had killed so many Canadian geese that I had lost count. I had 416 00:40:02,820 --> 00:40:08,220 one mounted on the wall, the first one I ever took down. I mean, this was a weekly thing for my dad 417 00:40:08,220 --> 00:40:13,199 and I in the winter to go out and each get a limit on geese by like 9:00 in the morning. 418 00:40:13,199 --> 00:40:20,120 Sometimes it was second nature to me. Well, my my dad's youngest brother, uh, lives 419 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:26,399 in Maui, and so obviously he doesn't get a crack at any Canadian geese where he's at. And, uh, you 420 00:40:26,399 --> 00:40:31,679 know, he came out hunting with us this one year and we had not seen any geese. And he was really 421 00:40:31,679 --> 00:40:37,800 adamant, I want to get a goose on this trip. And I didn't know. But he had never shot a goose before 422 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:43,519 year's worth of hunting and had never gotten a crack at a Canadian goose. Probably taken down 423 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:48,879 thousands of ducks at this point in time in his life. And he's out here with me and my dad, and 424 00:40:48,879 --> 00:40:55,039 there's this one lone Canadian goose, and it must have been flying up at about 30,000ft. And we're 425 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:59,639 standing around this pond, uh, we're under trees. And so we had a really good blind. We got our 426 00:40:59,639 --> 00:41:05,119 little heater out there. Just kind of a boring day. Not a lot happening. And my dad starts barking at 427 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:10,198 this goose with his goose call, and it starts circling above this pond. And, I mean, it takes like, 428 00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:16,329 15 minutes to lose altitude and it's finally coming down. And I'm just instinctual when I'm out 429 00:41:16,329 --> 00:41:21,209 on a hunt, especially as many geese as I had under my belt at that point, I just instinctively or 430 00:41:21,209 --> 00:41:26,489 instinctually reached over to grab my shotgun, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, somebody grabbed 431 00:41:26,489 --> 00:41:32,249 my wrist and it was my uncle. And he in no uncertain terms, I he said some words I won't say 432 00:41:32,249 --> 00:41:38,329 on this podcast, but he told me, do not touch that gun. And that goose finally came all the way down, 433 00:41:38,330 --> 00:41:42,929 and he went out there and got it. And that was the first one. And it's the only time I've ever had an 434 00:41:42,930 --> 00:41:48,689 uncle or a dad. Tell me. Not only do you not shoot first, you don't even get to touch your gun. I'm 435 00:41:48,690 --> 00:41:53,769 gonna go through all the lead in my pocket until that thing's on the ground. So, yeah, uh, waterfowl 436 00:41:53,810 --> 00:41:59,769 hunting is just such a different animal. But it is so much fun, and it's, um. You got to be patient 437 00:41:59,770 --> 00:42:05,289 sometimes. But there's also times, Clay, when, you know, I've. I've gone out at dark and we've laid on 438 00:42:05,290 --> 00:42:09,489 the bend in the, in the creek where we know they're going to be, and we can hear them, but we 439 00:42:09,489 --> 00:42:15,709 can't see him. And then when the sun comes up and you sit up, the sky turns black with the amount of 440 00:42:15,709 --> 00:42:20,109 birds that are there. And I'm sure that's a lot like what you got to experience out there in 441 00:42:20,110 --> 00:42:25,109 Nebraska with the Penguins. Yeah, it was insane. I'm telling you, I've never experienced anything like 442 00:42:25,110 --> 00:42:31,029 that to come. You know, from what I come from, you know, we're not in a natural flyway. And, uh, it's 443 00:42:31,029 --> 00:42:37,869 just it was crazy that they called. They start tornado, and it's just it's overwhelming how many 444 00:42:37,870 --> 00:42:44,069 birds there are, uh, mallards, you know, and and of course, we we killed some geese, too, but, um, it that 445 00:42:44,069 --> 00:42:49,908 was another epic experience. And, you know, these aren't hunts that I go on that we were paying for. 446 00:42:49,950 --> 00:42:54,829 And I mean, these are, you know, finding private land and, you know, you're doing the hunts yourself. 447 00:42:54,829 --> 00:42:59,709 There's there's people that pay for these big hunts and they go on it and, you know, they they 448 00:42:59,750 --> 00:43:05,589 guide you and, you know, set up for you. Pretty much all the hunting we've ever done has just been, you 449 00:43:05,590 --> 00:43:11,080 know, finding the property, doing it ourselves, cradle to grave. And to me, that's really the 450 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:17,599 experience. You know, doing it yourself. And, uh, you know, again, just going back to the kids and 451 00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:22,239 teaching them how to do everything. Cradle to grave, you know, you're you're going out. There's a 452 00:43:22,240 --> 00:43:28,480 lot of preseason preparation. You're putting checking on stands, you know, uh, doing food plots 453 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:33,679 here, you know, um, filling theaters. You know, whatever the case, there's a lot of groundwork 454 00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:39,919 that is laid. And then, you know, once you do, however, something that reward, I think is tenfold 455 00:43:39,919 --> 00:43:44,759 compared to just showing up at somebody's property and, you know, harvesting something and 456 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:49,599 going home, dropping it off of the processor, because we will we'll still use the processor. But 457 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:56,399 man, my kids have, uh, have butchered more deer, you know, and packaged them than 458 00:43:56,439 --> 00:44:01,839 probably most grown adults, you know. Yep, yep. It's something that you just get used to. You know, that 459 00:44:01,840 --> 00:44:06,959 was my least favorite part of it. As a kid, I was I kind of had a little bit of a of a light stomach. 460 00:44:06,959 --> 00:44:11,860 And so some of the stuff that you'll see and have to get your hands in out there was uh, and and 461 00:44:11,860 --> 00:44:17,099 look, I can make the argument. I still kind of have the light stomach. Like, if dad steps up and says, 462 00:44:17,100 --> 00:44:23,979 you want me to gut it? Yeah, absolutely. Let me hold a leg here, man. I'm all about that. So. Yeah, I love 463 00:44:23,980 --> 00:44:28,460 it, man. Well, you know, you kind of walked me to, to the next part of this that I wanted to ask you 464 00:44:28,460 --> 00:44:33,300 about because you mentioned something earlier in the podcast that is something that's very near 465 00:44:33,300 --> 00:44:39,580 and dear to me, which is a lot like golf. Hunting can be a very expensive endeavor. And even if 466 00:44:39,620 --> 00:44:44,619 you're not going on those expensive guided trips where they kind of just take you out there and 467 00:44:44,620 --> 00:44:50,580 point you in a direction and say, there he is, he's yours if you want him. Um, what type of tech are 468 00:44:50,580 --> 00:44:55,899 you finding these these days? Is there anything that's got you really excited? Um, I you know, this 469 00:44:55,899 --> 00:45:01,459 is real simple, but the reason I ask is because for years I looked at a binocular harness and I 470 00:45:01,459 --> 00:45:05,179 thought, why would I want something on the front of my. Why would I want something right there on 471 00:45:05,179 --> 00:45:10,148 my chest where, you know I've got to shoot. There's all this stuff. I've already got a backpack on. 472 00:45:10,149 --> 00:45:16,349 I've got gear. Uh, I bought a binocular harness just to try it out, and I would not trade that 473 00:45:16,350 --> 00:45:20,550 thing. You would have to pull it from my cold, dead fingers at this point. Clay, it's got my 474 00:45:20,550 --> 00:45:26,469 rangefinder. It's got my wind. Carter. Right there. You know, my my tag. Um, I can even attach a sidearm 475 00:45:26,470 --> 00:45:33,149 to it if I want to. Extra rounds, granola bars, you name it. I'm set up now. I feel like my backpack is 476 00:45:33,150 --> 00:45:38,309 now the obsolete thing in my hunting gear. But is there anything like that that you found recently 477 00:45:38,310 --> 00:45:42,749 that maybe we could tell the drivers about that you're really excited about? Because as a hunter, 478 00:45:42,750 --> 00:45:47,909 I'm always looking for the next thing, and I know that most of it's probably too expensive for me. 479 00:45:47,909 --> 00:45:53,550 But if I can jerry rig something or figure out something that really helps me and advances my 480 00:45:53,550 --> 00:45:58,869 abilities out there in the wilderness, I'm going to take that opportunity. So what do you liking 481 00:45:58,870 --> 00:46:03,709 right now out there, man? I know it's a little bit different for you archery hunters. Yeah. Listen, so 482 00:46:03,710 --> 00:46:10,409 I'd be lying If I could tell you some high tech gadget, uh, to to point you to, um. 483 00:46:10,489 --> 00:46:16,729 Now you're out west. So rhinos are probably a lot more critical to you, right? You're out. Where? Where 484 00:46:16,730 --> 00:46:22,090 are you? Out of Marcus. Uh, I was hunting in northeast Oregon, so. Yeah, we're up at elevation 485 00:46:22,090 --> 00:46:28,810 about 3000 4000ft. And most of the time, you're talking spot and stock, maybe 1000 2000 yards and 486 00:46:28,810 --> 00:46:34,849 get within, you know, 4 or 500 at the most to get a shot. Well, we were talking about expenses, so I got 487 00:46:34,850 --> 00:46:41,370 to be real careful where I put my money because I got four kids. Right? So four bows, 488 00:46:41,810 --> 00:46:47,489 four shotguns. Wow. Four rifles. So my goal over the years, I've been kind of piecing together for each 489 00:46:47,489 --> 00:46:53,289 one of them. That way when they're out there on their own. Because before when, when they all got 490 00:46:53,290 --> 00:47:00,209 to a point, we were, hey, one, this gun is for all of you or whatever. So now I've, I've got them set 491 00:47:00,250 --> 00:47:04,418 up to where they all each have their own stuff. And it's taken a lot of years to get there I say 492 00:47:04,419 --> 00:47:08,418 a lot of years. But, you know, I tried to get them set up to where they have their own gear and 493 00:47:08,419 --> 00:47:15,299 everything. So it's binoculars and tech and all that. I'll have to have to wait, you know, 494 00:47:15,340 --> 00:47:22,139 for us. So, um, because still tree stands and, you know, hunting property and leases and 495 00:47:22,139 --> 00:47:28,978 things like that, um, it consumes a lot of our financial resources to be able to enjoy 496 00:47:28,979 --> 00:47:34,059 it, I'm sure. Man. Well, here's here's a piece of advice I'll give you that I learned from my dad. 497 00:47:34,060 --> 00:47:38,819 And and this you've you've gone out and found private property to hunt on through connections 498 00:47:38,819 --> 00:47:44,819 and and talking to people. I will tell you right now, I have been blown away by the amount of 499 00:47:44,820 --> 00:47:50,739 permission we've gotten through. Nothing other than a friendly handshake, a nice conversation, and 500 00:47:50,739 --> 00:47:57,580 maybe a bottle of whiskey a week later. Um, and and we keep getting the permission to go on these 501 00:47:57,580 --> 00:48:03,678 places. And it really does come from being a respectful person, just not being afraid to ask. 502 00:48:03,719 --> 00:48:08,239 Understanding that you're utilizing somebody else's property here. And that could be kind of a 503 00:48:08,280 --> 00:48:14,238 lift for them in one way, shape or form. But, um, you just never really know with that type of stuff 504 00:48:14,239 --> 00:48:19,759 until you ask. And I'll tell you a good bottle of Crown Royal, which won't run you 30 bucks, uh, can 505 00:48:19,759 --> 00:48:24,919 go a long way with some of these landowners out there. They're hard workers, too. Clay. No doubt, no 506 00:48:24,919 --> 00:48:29,879 doubt. And, you know, going back to that where I was telling you my. So my dad went to school with a 507 00:48:30,560 --> 00:48:36,120 bunch of the farmers or, you know, around where we grew up at. And so, you know, he he was well 508 00:48:36,159 --> 00:48:42,199 connected. Uh, when it comes to property and it's coming harder and harder to find those. So, you 509 00:48:42,199 --> 00:48:47,079 know, now people are leasing out their land to other people, and we're starting to experience 510 00:48:47,080 --> 00:48:52,479 that. So I think dad's down to his last two properties that he has access to. So he flies down 511 00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:58,479 from Indiana that he's retired. Um, and he'll come down. And like I said, this past weekend, he was 512 00:48:58,480 --> 00:49:04,929 along for that trip. And, uh, it was a great memory to have him, you know, be a part of that. But he'll 513 00:49:04,929 --> 00:49:10,089 still he's going to be planning on going back to Indiana to hunt the rut. So the end of this month, 514 00:49:10,090 --> 00:49:15,529 he's flying back. He'll hunt through November and then probably be back down. But, um, you know, I 515 00:49:15,530 --> 00:49:22,169 think dad's 70, 75. Um, so he's got a few more good years left in him, but, uh, 516 00:49:22,169 --> 00:49:27,369 he's he's in the fourth quarter. Yeah, well, we should all be so lucky to be still hunting and 517 00:49:27,370 --> 00:49:33,530 and still, you know, uh, getting through at that age, that's kind of where my dad's at to. And I'll tell 518 00:49:33,530 --> 00:49:38,570 you, uh, he'll beat me up a mountain. No problem with a replaced knee and all of it. So, you know, 519 00:49:38,570 --> 00:49:43,809 and, uh, let's let's not be, uh, you know, joking around here. Clay, I'm not spending all my free 520 00:49:43,850 --> 00:49:49,610 time on a treadmill, so, uh, you know, but it's still so much fun, and and, like I said, spending our 521 00:49:49,610 --> 00:49:55,129 golden years like that. Man, could you imagine anything better? No, I can't, I can't. I'm looking 522 00:49:55,129 --> 00:50:01,030 forward to. But again, I'm enjoying the stage of, like, all men right now. It's, uh, it's a rat race 523 00:50:01,030 --> 00:50:07,589 and it's chaotic between professional and personal life. But, uh, you know, again, having 524 00:50:07,629 --> 00:50:14,189 having four kids that are all immersed in the outdoors, um, you know, I couldn't have been blessed 525 00:50:14,189 --> 00:50:19,790 with, uh, a better scenario, um, because I can't imagine having a couple that don't like it and a 526 00:50:19,790 --> 00:50:25,989 couple that do. I'd be I'd be torn there, but, uh, we've been able to, uh, enjoy it as it's been 527 00:50:25,990 --> 00:50:30,469 enjoyable. Well, Clay, I couldn't imagine being blessed with somebody better to have this 528 00:50:30,470 --> 00:50:35,710 conversation with today. And I really appreciate your time here and opening up to us, telling us 529 00:50:35,710 --> 00:50:42,070 how much it means to you that the family is, uh, is involved. And seeing your kids get to, uh, go 530 00:50:42,070 --> 00:50:47,590 through these things that you remember going through as a kid to congratulations on just an 531 00:50:47,590 --> 00:50:53,310 epic weekend that you guys had out there. Uh, I think that was last week, you said. Um, yeah, I just 532 00:50:53,350 --> 00:50:57,189 I can't thank you enough. This has been a lot of fun today. I'll clear some time here for your 533 00:50:57,189 --> 00:51:02,199 final thoughts. Uh, anything you want. Anything we left on the table, or any message that you might 534 00:51:02,199 --> 00:51:07,919 want the drivers to to hear, maybe just good luck for those of you that are out there hunting. But 535 00:51:07,919 --> 00:51:13,119 this episode was sort of meant to kind of show everybody out there that, hey, I've got my years 536 00:51:13,159 --> 00:51:17,678 under the belt. Clay's got his ears under the belt, and we're happy to have a campfire conversation 537 00:51:17,679 --> 00:51:23,479 with just about anybody that wants to talk about it. Yeah. No, I, I don't know. My final thoughts are 538 00:51:23,520 --> 00:51:29,199 it's just, um, for those of you that are out there that have grown up hunting or got up, you know, got 539 00:51:29,199 --> 00:51:34,399 into it later in life or whatever, you know how enjoyable it is. And, uh, you know, everybody's got 540 00:51:34,400 --> 00:51:40,039 their retreat and, you know, their way to, to kind of decompress and, you know, whatever that is, 541 00:51:40,039 --> 00:51:45,999 whether it's hunting, whether it's golf, whether it's fishing, uh, you know, there's number of, of 542 00:51:46,000 --> 00:51:52,799 avenues to, to decompress, regroup and get that, uh, uh, mental therapy that you need. 543 00:51:52,839 --> 00:51:57,840 And specifically we're talking trucking, right. It's, uh, it's a grind. And it doesn't matter 544 00:51:57,840 --> 00:52:02,329 whether you're a driver, whether you're a mechanic, whether you're in safety, whether you're in 545 00:52:02,370 --> 00:52:09,009 operations. Um, you've got to regroup every now and then. And just for me personally, uh, you know, I, I 546 00:52:09,249 --> 00:52:14,569 like to spend my time in the woods. Uh, when I get the opportunity. So, uh, I've enjoyed the 547 00:52:14,570 --> 00:52:20,888 conversation, Mark. Appreciate, uh, the conversation. And, um, you know, for everybody that's out there 548 00:52:20,929 --> 00:52:26,649 that's hunting this year. Good luck. Good luck. Be safe out there. Uh, remember to respect the game 549 00:52:26,649 --> 00:52:32,409 and respect the land, uh, because we all want your kids and their kids and everybody else's kids to 550 00:52:32,410 --> 00:52:37,689 be able to go out there and experience this as well. Clay Hamblen, always a pleasure, my friend. 551 00:52:37,689 --> 00:52:43,090 We'll get you back in here again soon. Don't work too hard. Uh, in between hunting seasons. Okay, I 552 00:52:43,090 --> 00:52:49,289 appreciate it. Now I gotta go to, uh, my son's last middle school football game, so we'll finish that 553 00:52:49,290 --> 00:52:53,729 up tonight. All right. Sounds good. Well, good luck to him, Clay. We'll talk to you again soon. Thanks, 554 00:52:53,729 --> 00:52:55,089 Marcus. Appreciate it. 555 00:53:02,829 --> 00:53:07,989 Big thanks to Clay Hamblen for coming on the Cypress Truck Lines podcast with us. He's a very 556 00:53:07,989 --> 00:53:14,429 busy guy, and he gave us a lot of time today to just sit down and have a real fun and 557 00:53:14,429 --> 00:53:21,389 insightful chat about why, not necessarily the what. Look, a guy like Clay sitting with a guy like 558 00:53:21,389 --> 00:53:28,069 me could tell you stories for days about just successful hunts, whether it be deer, elk, 559 00:53:28,070 --> 00:53:34,908 waterfowl, you name it. Um, we've been doing this for a long time. We have those stories. But today 560 00:53:34,949 --> 00:53:41,909 was a lot more about the why than it was the what or the how. And I think that with Clay, you know, 561 00:53:41,949 --> 00:53:46,709 he started hunting with his uncles, he learned archery with a childhood friend and eventually 562 00:53:46,710 --> 00:53:52,309 shared the experience with his own father. And now he's doing it for his four children. One of the 563 00:53:52,310 --> 00:53:57,639 things that really stuck with me was listening to Clay talk about how much more exciting hunting 564 00:53:57,639 --> 00:54:04,159 has become. Now that he's watching his kids do it. Because I realize that's exactly what my dad has 565 00:54:04,160 --> 00:54:10,319 been doing with me for all of these years, and even well into my 40s. Here we are. It's still the 566 00:54:10,319 --> 00:54:16,319 same. And maybe that's one of the greatest things about getting older. You get to become the person 567 00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:22,039 who made those memories possible for you. You know, it's really an extraordinary thing when you think 568 00:54:22,040 --> 00:54:28,599 about it. At some point, the thrill of personal success becomes secondary to the joy of helping 569 00:54:28,600 --> 00:54:35,319 someone else experience that personal success. And I think we got a really good picture of that 570 00:54:35,320 --> 00:54:41,878 today, not only from Clay talking about his experience and his kids, but I kind of 571 00:54:41,920 --> 00:54:48,560 realized it right here on the air. This is the clay is my dad. Back when I was nine, ten, 11 years 572 00:54:48,560 --> 00:54:53,599 old, getting through hunter safety, realizing what it actually meant to be out there in the field, 573 00:54:53,779 --> 00:55:00,619 Fumbling through everything, and somehow the guy's still not so frustrated with me that he he 574 00:55:00,620 --> 00:55:05,539 wants to leave me at home and go out there on his own. Uh, that's extraordinary when you really think 575 00:55:05,539 --> 00:55:11,019 about it. And I think it's probably one of the best parts of today's interview, if you really 576 00:55:11,219 --> 00:55:17,779 want my honest take on it. Clay's family harvested three deer during one extraordinary evening. 577 00:55:17,780 --> 00:55:24,659 And this this part of it, really, it says to me the the memories outlive the accomplishments. Okay. His 578 00:55:24,659 --> 00:55:29,179 oldest son got his first with the bow. His wife got to experience a successful hunt with one of 579 00:55:29,179 --> 00:55:35,899 his other sons, and his daughter harvested a remarkable buck. Now I want to 580 00:55:35,939 --> 00:55:42,538 imagine what that story is going to turn into 30 years from now, when Clay is the retired guy 581 00:55:42,620 --> 00:55:47,419 spending his golden years flying back and forth to different hunts all the way across the country 582 00:55:47,419 --> 00:55:54,069 and watching his kids teach their kids. I suspect he'll remember who was standing next to him more 583 00:55:54,070 --> 00:55:58,908 vividly than the measurements of any antlers. Someday those kids are going to be grown up. 584 00:55:58,909 --> 00:56:03,509 They'll have jobs. They'll have families. They'll have responsibilities of their own, just like we 585 00:56:03,510 --> 00:56:09,549 all do. But I guarantee you that 30 years from now, they'll remember that weekend with their dad. And 586 00:56:09,550 --> 00:56:14,229 that's a pretty remarkable return on investment of a little time in the woods. When you really 587 00:56:14,229 --> 00:56:21,149 think about it, something else was the privilege of still being able to go and do this. Um, 588 00:56:21,149 --> 00:56:26,749 and this one does carry some emotional weight for me and and for clay as well. Uh, Clay mentioned his 589 00:56:26,749 --> 00:56:33,149 father was around 75. My dad's in that same age group. Um, you know, he's still climbing mountains 590 00:56:33,149 --> 00:56:39,709 with a replaced knee. We talked about it. There's, I think, subtle awareness in both of our stories, 591 00:56:39,949 --> 00:56:46,429 um, that these opportunities won't last forever. And it's very important to get out there 592 00:56:46,430 --> 00:56:53,009 and take advantage of the opportunities when they're still in front of you. I will admit to you 593 00:56:53,049 --> 00:56:57,688 here on this podcast that I realized that, you know, probably ten years ago is when it really 594 00:56:57,689 --> 00:57:03,330 started to become real to me. And I don't think that anybody ever wants to admit to themselves 595 00:57:03,330 --> 00:57:09,048 that it is a very real part of this life that we all live. Um, you know, Clay mentioned his dad's 596 00:57:09,049 --> 00:57:13,850 getting up there in years, and, and I think about how lucky I am that I can still head into the 597 00:57:13,850 --> 00:57:19,248 mountains with my dad. Um, I don't know how many more hunting seasons we'll get together. You never 598 00:57:19,249 --> 00:57:25,249 really do. But I know I'm going to appreciate every single one of them. And hearing Clay talk 599 00:57:25,290 --> 00:57:30,409 about the appreciation for the moments that he just had with his kids and sort of being on the 600 00:57:30,409 --> 00:57:35,729 outset of that and, and building those memories upon one another. Um, that's what it's really all 601 00:57:35,730 --> 00:57:41,688 about, man. That's why we do this. And if you don't hunt, there's something else in your life that 602 00:57:41,689 --> 00:57:46,609 replaces these feelings. Like I said earlier, it could be a racetrack. It could be a football field, 603 00:57:46,610 --> 00:57:52,979 could be the deep blue ocean. Whatever you're doing with your kids, whatever traditions you're 604 00:57:52,979 --> 00:57:58,499 passing down to them, whatever lessons they're going to learn through those traditions won't 605 00:57:58,500 --> 00:58:04,938 last forever. And so it's important to take every opportunity that you've got and make it happen. 606 00:58:04,939 --> 00:58:11,139 And that's what good fathers do. That's what Clay's doing. That's what my dad did and has still 607 00:58:11,139 --> 00:58:17,379 done over all these years. And that's what you guys out there listening as fathers and mothers 608 00:58:17,379 --> 00:58:24,100 and sons and daughters, yourselves, uncles, aunts. That's what you all do, too. You might 609 00:58:24,100 --> 00:58:30,299 not take a minute to actually realize that that's what's going on, but that is exactly what's going 610 00:58:30,299 --> 00:58:37,179 on. And I also want everybody to remember that success is not always tied to what you bring 611 00:58:37,179 --> 00:58:44,179 home. Um, you know, something Clay said towards the end really resonated with me. Everybody needs 612 00:58:44,179 --> 00:58:50,399 something that lets them disconnect from the grind. For us, that can be hunting for sure, but it 613 00:58:50,399 --> 00:58:54,959 doesn't have to be that. Whatever your thing is, whatever thing gets you away from the stress and 614 00:58:54,959 --> 00:59:01,519 makes you feel like yourself again, make time for it. Because that's not wasted time. That's time 615 00:59:01,519 --> 00:59:07,279 very well spent. And if you do make that time for those things that take you away from that daily 616 00:59:07,280 --> 00:59:12,878 grind and make you feel true to yourself, that's when you're going to find that time to pass those 617 00:59:12,879 --> 00:59:19,399 traditions on to the people you love, like we just talked about. And finally, I think the last thing I 618 00:59:19,399 --> 00:59:25,560 want to draw attention to here is, is that respect is really the legacy. Uh, we spent some meaningful 619 00:59:25,560 --> 00:59:31,159 time discussing ethical hunting, properly, preparing for a shot, recovering an animal, 620 00:59:31,159 --> 00:59:37,198 processing the meat, and teaching younger hunters to respect the wildlife. When Klay talks about 621 00:59:37,239 --> 00:59:41,559 teaching his kids the right way to hunt, he's talking about a lot more than teaching them how 622 00:59:41,560 --> 00:59:47,519 to shoot. He's talking about patience, responsibility, respect, preparation, and what it 623 00:59:47,520 --> 00:59:53,609 means to finish something that you started. And those lessons do not just stay in the woods. Those 624 00:59:53,610 --> 01:00:00,530 are things his kids can carry with them anywhere that they go. So really important stuff here, I 625 01:00:00,530 --> 01:00:07,329 think from a zoomed out perspective. Yeah, we came in here talking about hunting today, but as is 626 01:00:07,329 --> 01:00:12,969 with every single hunt, it's about so much more than that moment that you step out of the truck. 627 01:00:12,969 --> 01:00:19,329 Now, that happens to be one of my favorite moments. If if my favorite moment is hugging my dad 628 01:00:19,330 --> 01:00:24,529 moments after a shot rings out, my second favorite moment is that first step out of the truck. You 629 01:00:24,529 --> 01:00:30,449 get the gloves on, you get the the headgear on whether you gotta go full on beanie or balaclava 630 01:00:30,449 --> 01:00:34,809 or maybe you got warm enough weather, you just have to wear a hat, but you're getting it on. 631 01:00:34,810 --> 01:00:40,290 You're getting the coat, the bag, the harness, all of that. The gun. Make sure it's on safety. Make 632 01:00:40,330 --> 01:00:45,009 sure we've got some, uh, some shells in the magazine. Make sure everything's where it should 633 01:00:45,009 --> 01:00:49,869 be. You got your scope coat. It might rain later. These are the things that I really love, the 634 01:00:49,870 --> 01:00:55,469 preparation and what goes into it. Because without all of those things, you're not set up for success. 635 01:00:55,469 --> 01:01:01,349 And if you don't take every single opportunity to set yourself up for success, when you're going off 636 01:01:01,350 --> 01:01:07,069 to hunt wild animals in the wilderness, you're probably not going to be successful. So all of 637 01:01:07,070 --> 01:01:13,028 this kind of comes full circle and lets us know that it's not just about what's hanging on the 638 01:01:13,029 --> 01:01:18,470 wall. It's not just about the meat and the freezer. It's about so much more than that. The memories, 639 01:01:18,470 --> 01:01:25,230 the lessons, the traditions, they all last and they all mean so much to all of us. So I just want to 640 01:01:25,230 --> 01:01:30,509 thank Clay again for such an awesome conversation today, and open this up to some of the rest of you 641 01:01:30,509 --> 01:01:35,189 guys out there. We know that there's a lot of hunters listening to this right now. We know that 642 01:01:35,190 --> 01:01:40,429 after listening to this, you might want to come on and talk about what it means to you and what your 643 01:01:40,430 --> 01:01:45,869 why is and what your white whale out there in the woods is. You know, I never even mentioned that now 644 01:01:45,869 --> 01:01:50,678 that I took down one of my white whales a couple of years ago, this antelope that I told you guys 645 01:01:50,679 --> 01:01:57,239 I'd waited 30 years for that tag. Almost. Uh, now, I might have to wait 30 years for another one, but 646 01:01:57,240 --> 01:02:02,639 I'm looking for a bighorn sheep or a mountain goat. Something that we give very few tags for 647 01:02:02,639 --> 01:02:07,320 over here because, well, there's not a lot of those animals, and there's even less people that are 648 01:02:07,320 --> 01:02:12,799 willing to go into the environments that they exist in and try to chase them down. So there you 649 01:02:12,799 --> 01:02:18,320 have it. I'll leave you with that. My white whale is a bighorn sheep and a full colonel, let me tell 650 01:02:18,320 --> 01:02:23,039 you. Or one of those white snow white mountain goats that hangs out in the alpine wilderness 651 01:02:23,039 --> 01:02:29,198 would love to even get to see some of those in the wild, even if I'm not carrying a gun in a tag. 652 01:02:29,439 --> 01:02:34,799 Um, but this whole this whole episode is meant a lot to me, and I really appreciate you guys for 653 01:02:34,799 --> 01:02:39,239 coming along. If you want to be on our next hunting episode, all you got to do is go over to, 654 01:02:39,239 --> 01:02:44,479 uh, podcast.cypresstruck.com and send me an email. I'll put your name on the list. I will reach out 655 01:02:44,480 --> 01:02:48,779 to you the next time we do this. And hey, we can do as many follow ups to this one as you want, 656 01:02:48,820 --> 01:02:54,739 because we know that the there's plenty of people at Cypress that are really excited about the hunt, 657 01:02:54,740 --> 01:02:59,979 and there's a lot more behind it than just walking out there and pulling the trigger or, or 658 01:02:59,980 --> 01:03:04,579 releasing the catch on your bow. So get in touch with us. Let us know if you want to take part in 659 01:03:04,579 --> 01:03:09,060 the next one. That's going to put the brakes on today's episode. Thanks again to Clay Hamblen for 660 01:03:09,060 --> 01:03:14,979 joining me today. We'll be back next week, Wednesday 5 a.m. local time, with another hour of 661 01:03:14,980 --> 01:03:21,418 content from you, for you and from you. From me as well. Uh, we're all confused here. It's the Cypress 662 01:03:21,419 --> 01:03:25,379 Truck Lines podcast. Be safe out there, drivers. We'll see you next week.