Author: Greg Staggs
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It was eerily quiet… yet another morning offering little hope of success. I stared out into the murky grayness of the sky as my surroundings were caught somewhere between darkness and daylight. I should have heard something by now if it was going to happen. Out west, they would have been hammering for a good 20 minutes now...

I pulled out my custom glass pot call and pulled hard with the striker against its surface, creating sharp clucks before rounding off with some softer yelps. I wasn’t even sure if the tom could hear me from this distance.  I glanced at the time on my phone; it was 5:57 a.m.
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We kept playing the game for at least 10 more minutes. I broke out my box call, which could hit audible levels so high it literally hurt my ears inside the blind. I knew he could hear that. Then I shut up for a while. He gobbled, and I could tell he had turned on the branch to face me. I kept quiet. He thundered out once again… still I kept quiet, as tempting as it was to respond. A few minutes later his throaty gobble erupted once again, but this time it sounded different, from another location perhaps. I guessed he had hit the ground. I offered a couple yelps, changed into a hard cutting routine and finished with a last yelp or two.
 
A minute later and he had cut the distance in half. I yelped softer this time, but I wanted him to know where I was since he’d started from so far away. Another minute and he gave away his presence even with me, but still inside the woods. A light purr would be sufficient. I looked outside a small hole in my blind where two panels came together and spotted his outstretched neck, peering above the pasture grass to survey the scene. His neck disappeared and then all I could see was the tip of his fan above the green grass. He alternated between full strut and stretching out his neck to look everything over before beginning the slow shuffle to my waiting hen and jake decoy about 12 yards in front of my open window.
 
When he was just 6 yards away, he blew himself up into full strut once again, and literally shook every feather he had as he spit and drummed. His waddles were fiery red, and the dark barring of his huge fan typical of our beautiful Missouri Easterns pivoted towards my decoys with every turn he made. He abandoned showing off for the fake hen, and slid over to my jake deke, brushing against it with his huge chest. He circled and I kept a close watch on his head and eye, and the moment those huge tail feathers hid everything from my view I snapped my bow back to full draw.

I stared at the back end of him, observing how all his tail feathers came to a single point at his butt and thought to myself that if I’d had a fixed-blade broadhead, it would be a simple matter to send it there and end this game. But with my big guillotine-style head, patience was needed. These were head-shot broadheads, not made to penetrate a body. Slowly he turned and exposed his blue face. I waited a bit more until I could see the waddles, burning red with an intense mixture of rage and love. I settled the green 20-yard pin in the middle of them and touched off the release; he dropped in his tracks instantly – the game over less than 30 minutes after it had begun. ​​

​Welcome to the very first Tactical Tuesday from Wild Edge Inc.  Here’s what you can expect…
 
Every Tuesday evening at 8:00 PM EST, a representative from the WEI team will host an Instagram live video.  This week we were joined by one of our favorite podcasters, Walter of Chasing Tales Outdoors.  As the weeks progress, we’ll be hanging out with experts from across the industry.
 
Later in the week, we will post a quick and dirty, written recap of what you missed.  So, here’s what you missed on our very first Tactical Tuesday…

Q: @rhienhart: “How do you attach [the Steppladder] to your pack for transport?”
A: Andrew: My system changes drastically depending on how I am accessing the piece and what kind of topography I am walking in to.  Often times I’ll be strapping a set of stepps directly to my kayak and throwing them over my shoulder when I access public land by water. 
 
On short hikes they’re always right around my shoulder.  I’m a big proponent of keeping things simple.  When I walk into the woods, I want to be able to start my climb immediately.  This means I don’t have to pause to take my backpack off.  My sling is already on, my Bowhanger is in my pocket, my lineman’s line is tucked into my sling and my bow is clipped to the other side of my sling.
 
If I have a long hike, I’ll often attach the stepps to the outside of my pack.  This way, I can move through the woods more effectively.
 
 
Q: @topnockbowhunting: “How long does it take you to get up and ready to shoot? And how long to get down and all packed up?”
A: Andrew: My motto has always been, slow is smooth, smooth is fast.  We’re not fighting to be the fastest system on the market because I don’t see the advantage to sprinting into the woods and blasting up into the tree.  This isn’t a reflection of the stepps either; it’s my personal style.  I can throw up a set and climb 30 feet in 3 minutes, but I think we all need to remember to slow down, take our time and hunt on the way in.
 
Walter: It’s important to note that the faster you move, the hotter you’re going to get. No matter what the temperature is outside, you’ll have to manage your core temperature and your layers.  It is also extremely situational.  It took me 17 minutes to climb 16 feet into a cedar, but it was littered with branches. 
 
It’s best to approach this from a woodsmanship mentality, and I think the true answer to this question is, it does not take too long to climb.  It depends on where, when and how you’re hunting, and how much you’ve practiced.
 
My goal is to be in the woods, quiet an hour before I want to be hunting. I’ve gotten up into a tree an hour before sunrise and decided that it wasn’t perfect.  I had the option to get down and choose a new tree because I gave myself enough time to slow down and think.
 
 
Q: @Ugly_step_kid: “How heavy is your set up?”
A: Andrew: This is another one of those questions that is not an easy answer.  Each step weighs 11.7 ounces, so you’ll have to do some math. The tough part is the fact that my set up is always super specific to the piece of land that I’m hunting.
 
So many guys are so weight conscious down to the ounce. And honestly, they’re overestimating how far they’re traveling.  In Connecticut we can’t walk a mile without leaving a property!
 
 
Q: @whitetail_legacy_podcast: What is the comfort level for all day sits?
A: Walter: I like the way my platform relieves some stress on my ankles during long sits.
If you’re using a ring of stepps, you need to increase your angle from the tree to relieve some of that pressure.
 
Andrew: I’ve never sat all day in my life!  I’ve hunted all day.  I’ve never sat all day.  For a couple hours I’m super comfortable!
 
Walter
When you kill deer as efficiently as Andrew you don’t have to sit all day!
 
 
Q: How many do you personally use?
A: Andrew: The only way to answer this is by saying that I never use the same amount of stepps, ever. If I’m setting up a spot for my family to use all season I might use 18 of them spaced one foot apart.  If I’m run and gunning and going in blind I might grab 5 stepps and an aider.  It really depends on the situation.
 
The one thing that is a definite is a preseason set up.  I will always walk out with no less than a set of 16.  Of those 16, 3 of them will have 8-foot ropes.  I would much rather not use them all than be a few short.
 
 
Q: Walter: Okay, you’re on a brand-new piece of property and you’re going in blind, how many stepps are you taking?
A: Andrew: Depends on the topography.  Let’s say it’s a swamp. I may only need 3-5 get above cattails and phragmites.  If I accessed by boat I would definitely have an additional 10-12 stepps in the boat that I could go back for after my hunt to create a better future set up.
 
 
Q: @bowhunterchronicles_podcast: “Are you using a knaider, swaider etc. what’s your preferred setup personally?
A: Walter: I use the Etrier, which is a rock-climbing aider.
 
Andrew: I use the Wild Edge Aider. It’s easy to use and adjustable.  Plus, I’d rather do a pull up before I start attaching ropes to my feet. All that knaider, swaider stuff gets clumsy and complicated.
 
 
Q: @Louis_bowhuntingnz: What bows are you guys shooting?
A: Andrew and Walter: Matthews Triax and New Breed respectively.

Q: @jgrosss: How’s the platform prototype coming?
A: Andrew: The prototype is finally ready, and we are really excited to start testing it.  To give you an idea of the strength of this thing, I’m a buck-85 and I can jump on the corner without any movement. It handles side pressure like a champion.
 
Walter: So just to clarify, on our latest podcast you said you were not a platform guy. Has this changed?
 
Andrew: The biggest disadvantage I see with platforms is that you only have that one spot for your feet.  The platform is different than the stepps. I will definitely use it, but there’s a tool for every scenario.  The reason I like the stepps so much as a platform is because I have places for my feet all the way around the tree. On the other hand, if I were truly run and gunning, I could get up with 4 or 5 stepps, an aider and slap a platform on.
 
You definitely loose a degree of mobility with the platform.  With the stepps you can comfortably go around the tree. With a platform it’s possible to go ass over tea kettle if you push it a little too far.
 
Walter: It’s super personal. Everyone who gets into saddle hunting ends up customizing their set up.
 
Andrew: And you don’t have to be so rigid with your set.  Sometimes I use one step and a branch sometimes I use two branches as foot holds.
 
We’re going to put the prototype through the ringer, so I’m not committing to any dates. We’ll have a couple guys test the hell out of it first.
 
 
Q: @jcristobal61: “What’s the most ordered amount of stepps?”
A: Andrew: The set of 12 has always been super popular.  I’ve definitely seen numbers rise with the set of 10 with an aider.  Honestly though, ever since we introduced the “Build your own” option, guys are taking full advantage of their ability to customize their order.
 
 
Q: @Topnockbowhunting: “Will you have steps for sale at the outdoor show in PA?”
A: Andrew: Yes we will have a whole truck load. Catch us at boot 1112 in the archery hall!
 
 
Q: Walter: Are you taking the Mantis or the Aero hunter to Saddlepolooza?
A: Andrew: Mantis it is light, the seat is bigger, and that thing is comfortable.
 
Walter: For anyone wondering, Saddlepolooza is the world’s largest gathering of camo-diaper wearing men who hog hunt, hang out, drink beer and camp together. This year it is happening on President’s weekend, February 17,18 and 19.
 
 
Q: @Bowhunterchronicles_podcast: “Are you going to be at ATA?”
A: Andrew: Probably as an industry guy. We haven’t committed to getting a booth.
 

Q: @mittenstatearrowslinger: “How are the stepp ladder orders coming along?”
A: Andrew: We are still at an 8-12 week lead time. And working as quickly as we can to ship to the customers who hit that 8-week mark.  Sign up below to stay updated on steppladder lead times!

@jtmoore_: “I use 4 with a 5 step aider, but I may buy 4 more and use yalls aider.”
 
@urbanbowman: “Takes me about 10 minutes to set up at 20’; but I allow 30 minutes from bottom to setup, to go slow and make no noise. Timing doesn’t matter. Noise does… you’re gonna sit there all day. Just take your time and be quiet. For anyone asking, the steps are way faster and quieter than the sticks ever could be.”
 
@Jtmoore_ : “Its freaking fast… and quiet, just takes a little practice. Way faster than my lone wolf setup.”
 
@Ry_nev82: “I think a lot of guys like to compare them to sticks because it’s what they know.  Apples to oranges. Wild Edge is more versatile. Period.”

Participate on our next live video to be featured in next week's blog!

​We ended the live cast by discussing how abnormally large Walter’s noggin is.  He wears his Wild Edge snapback on the very last snap. We learned Andrew and Walter are not hip and don’t know how the kids wear their hats these days.
 
So, that just about sums it up.  Thanks for watching and reading! Before you leave be sure to share this post so your buddies can catch up.  And don’t forget to subscribe to our Instagram stories to find out who might join Andrew on our next Tactical Tuesday! Stay wild.

To be honest I don’t think of my style of hunting to be defined as run and gun. I feel like it is more than that. It is the evolution of the savage and predatory instinct that drives me to be a hunter and to harvest prey.  We all see it these days in the social media driven, “Look at me” world we live in. Everyone is a big buck expert. No one hunts deer anymore; they grow them, feed them and have 24-hour surveillance on them with the finest technologically, advanced gear, and gadgets on the market! That’s not me.  I don’t have a scent eliminating air conditioner, a scent proof closet worth over $600.00, or trail cameras texting me pictures! 
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​Don't get me wrong, I love technology; however, I have seen how something as simple as a trail camera has both helped and hindered me.  I found myself relying too much on a picture with a timestamp.  I trusted the camera that the deer were not showing until dark. I believed that there weren't deer in the area simply because they didn’t show up on camera. It wasn’t until I took a step back and returned to hunting basics, that I saw a change. I began to enjoy myself as much as when I was a kid and applied 15 years of experience to that same excitement and passion.
 
Success came when I looked at the bigger picture. If you are like I was, you would find an area that is tore up with sign. You hunt the first time and declare it an amazing location. You hunt it again and again, each time seeing less sign and less deer. You begin to get frustrated and blame the moon, mass crops, or the hunting pressure from hunters on neighboring properties. Sound familiar?
 
At this point, you know something has to change. You move trail cameras and wander through the same section of woods scratching your head. Yes, I’ve been here. The deer have us patterned. It’s time to move!

​Run and Gun may sound fast to people, like it’s a race to walk miles to discover far-away honey holes. It’s marketed as if you have to carry gear lighter than dental floss and ascend a tree in a matter of seconds. That’s not all true! Run and Gun can be slow and methodical. It can be planned or totally done on the fly! It's time to get back to the basics.  

One day, after leaving one of the same small pieces of private land, where I’ve consistently killed mature bucks, I stopped at the edge of the field. I needed a new perspective. I forced myself to sit down and look at the same topographic map that I’ve stared at one hundred times before. What was I missing?
 
I had to think like a deer. Where would I feel safe? Where would the average hunter not have the ambition to go? This led me to look beyond the property boundaries. Eventually, it led me to a piece of public land accessible only by kayak.

​With a fresh outlook, new research and scouting led me to the edge of a river. We tend to forget that deer swim. For a deer to plunge into a river and swim a few hundred yards is not out of the norm. I strapped my bow to my kayak and approached the island without a sound. It was then that I realized, the nearly impenetrably thicket would severely limit my shot opportunities. I’d have to be elevated in a tree.
 
I couldn’t find a way to strap a tree stand to the kayak and haul it through the undergrowth. This is when I began saddle hunting.  It became vital to simplify my gear. What is absolutely necessary to kill a deer from a tree, and how can I bring it all in and out with my kayak and carry it through the scrub?
 
I had to reevaluate my entire set up because this location didn’t allow for anything superfluous. The landscape was far too impenetrable to roll up with the duck boat and place 10 stands around the island. I also did not want to do this. This was an opportunity to move through the woods like a predator, not a herd of cattle. I had the chance to start fresh and be invisible.
 

​It was Veterans day, and it was the perfect morning to be hunting.  I slid my kayak out of the bed of my truck, stepped into my sling, strapped a set of Stepps and my backpack on the back and my bow to the front.  After a short paddle, I arrived at the shores of the thick jungle, threw my backpack on, slung the Stepps over my shoulder, and grabbed my bow without a sound.
 
It took 30 minutes to walk 100 yards as the brush grabbed at every inch of my clothing. I took my time and setting up in a scrubby oak only 12 feet off the ground.  Once the sun came up I knew this was the ticket. I could now shoot over the thick brush and actually see what was coming.  
 
This was only the second time I had stepped foot on this island and the first time in a tree.  The night before I visualized the scenario on repeat. I planned everything from wind direction to access time, from packing my gear into my kayak to setting up in the dark. I immediately began seeing deer the first morning.  A doe snuck by with a nice buck on her tail.  A few short grunts later and he was playing cat and mouse with me. It wasn’t long before a nice 8 pt. came looking for a fight. 

​Like all the “professionals” say on tv he wasn’t the biggest deer, but I was happy with him.  I don’t judge a good deer by his age or the size of his rack I judge it by the experience and the hunt itself.  This deer was the first legitimate deer I killed from a sling and the first deer on public land accessed by a kayak.  The hunt got even more interesting when I then realized this deer would not fit on or in my kayak, nor would I be able to carry or drag him out of this thick island.  I always carry contractor garbage bags for this reason! I deboned him and took his head just as if I was packing out an elk.  I did all I could to fit the meat in every square inch I had in the kayak and paddled back with 80 extra pounds than I had on the paddle in! 

 ​This hunt was more than a public land hunt.  It was the realization that hunting from a tree doesn’t have to mean setting up a tree stand in advance of the hunt. It was proof that scouting can be done while hunting.  Now, there is rarely just scouting or just hunting, I am always hunting.  I did not have trail cameras taking surveillance, no shooting lanes trimmed or preset stands. I trusted my gut instincts and just hunted! As corny as it may sound, I always think like a predator, as if I am a bobcat or coyote.  How often do you see a bobcat or coyote aimlessly walking with no care in the world and no interest in their surroundings?  That is how many hunters walk to their stands.  On the way to my stand, an arrow is always knocked, and I am alert.  The run and gun set up I have established allows me to carry everything I need on my back and around my waist. It allows me to climb any tree I see fit, without stopping to make adjustments, or reorganize.  To me there is no reason to go into the woods and scout during the hunting season without hunting, I just hunt. The first time in is always the best time so why spread your scent and give the deer a fair warning you are there and coming back!  Just Hunt! 

​Sit and Wait? Never.

I am not one to ever sit still, and my hunting style developed just the same. I was always getting down from my stand, pushing deer to a friend, or simply trying to cut them off myself. It’s a game. A game of predator and prey but i'm too impatient for chess. It’s easy to sit still when you’re surrounded by deer, but much less so when the army of squirrels descends upon your bait without a deer in sight. This is when my feet hit the ground.

Back then, running and gunning meant just that: boots on the ground and gun or bow in hand. I would free climb trees and boulders for better vantage points. I would follow game trails, creep through thick cover and search for the flicker of a tail, the horizontal silhouette of the body, or if I was lucky, the points of a big rack.  

This works, for me.

At 15, I got permission to hunt a property after the land owner lost all of the apples and peaches off of his fruit trees. I began by creeping into the woods and setting up at the base of a big oak.

After a few minutes it just didn’t feel right. I moved 50 yards and found a boulder the size of a Peterbilt. I hoisted myself atop of it and hunkered in. Moments later, I sent an arrow through the lungs of a 130” 8-point at 5 yards. He was so big and so close that all 5 of my sight pins were in the vitals!

I continued to evolve my style with the addition of more advanced gear. I was ecstatic to add a Lone Wolf sit and climb tree stand to my arsenal after the Christmas of 2005. By age 16 I weighed in at a whopping 120 pounds. I remember the effort of strapping 30 pounds on my back. I would secure a backpack to the climber and waddle into the woods with my weapon in one hand and 20 additional pounds of bait in the other.

The set up took time, the stand caught on branches and briers, and I was lucky to find a perfectly straight tree to climb. I hit the lottery if that tree happened to be in the area I actually wanted to hunt. And, there was always the added fun of realizing you’re 10 feet lower than you thought you were once the sun came up.

Shown on the left is my entire winter set up. The image to the right shows the competitors on a beautiful day with their version of a "lightweight," "run and gun" set. I support simplicity, plain and simple.
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​Many of you know that I have grown up in a family of hunters and by extension have become one myself.  I began shooting a bow as young as age 6 with my first homemade stick and string longbow.  As I grew older, I noticed how much it excited my dad to share this passion with me.  When I was old enough to hunt, he dragged me to the local sportsman’s club for the hunter safety course, where I shot a bullseye before heading out the door to pursue my passion on the soccer field.  In high school, I was consumed with sports and academics, and I allowed my perfectionist tendencies to take control.  It wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I realized making time to hunt would benefit me and bring me closer to my older brother, Drew.  I described hunting as my father’s passion, but it is my brother’s sickness; obsession is too soft of a word.