Episode #105 Live from Shipshewana, IN - 2 Episodes in One!

Published: 2022-02-20
Episode page
Duration: 142 min

In this episode

antler-strength

• Eli Beachy asked whether antler strength differs year to year, noting more busted antlers this year. 15:51

buck-culling

• Don’s culling method targets the four worst three-year-old bucks each year, letting the two biggest ones live to mature further. 119:53
• Don said on his 120-acre farm they shoot at minimum four to eight bucks per year, mostly age three and older. 123:33

buck-doe-ratio

• John Miller asked what buck-to-doe ratio Don maintains and whether too many does is a problem. 129:46

bucket-list

• Israel Yoder asked whether Don has a bucket list of hunts outside whitetail deer. 108:48

callery-pear

• A listener asked whether Bradford pears spreading in fence rows are a problem to cut or good for wildlife. 35:13

consulting-critique

• Damon Marling asked how far to go creating deer trails, referencing a ‘spokes on a wheel’ technique. 31:57

cwd

• Don personally suspects nutrition, rather than sharpshooting, may be the real answer to CWD. 3:57
• Don found additional UK research showing certain mineral deficiencies in the soil in areas where CWD cases were found. 4:09

cwd-politics

• An audience member asked how long it will take politics to admit they were wrong about CWD given the humic acid research. 24:28

debate-reflection

• Aiden Miller asked if Don would answer anything differently from last night’s debate. 134:58

deer-drives

• Don called deer drives a killing tactic requiring zero skill and said he wishes they were outlawed along with mechanical broadheads. 118:21

deer-funneling

• A listener asked if building a bridge over a muddy creek crossing would help concentrate deer movement. 40:56

deer-hunting-method

• Don noted his top six bucks were killed on five different properties, showing his management method works on any land. 137:35

deer-management

• Larry Beachy asked how long Don managed his wild deer population before starting to cull younger bucks. 21:48

deer-patterns

• Justine asked when deer switch from fall/winter patterns to summer patterns. 91:36

dogs

• A listener asked what mature bucks think about dogs on a property. 52:48

episode-announcement

• Terry noted this is episode 105, broadcast live from Shipshewana, Indiana. 0:52

family-illness

• The widow’s young son was found to have the same autoimmune disease that killed his father. 11:36

family-priorities

• Don said his family mattered more than his biggest bucks and he would walk away from deer hunting for them. 84:23

food-plot-comfort

• Parker Yoder asked how long it takes deer to get comfortable using a new small food plot. 112:03

food-plot-cover

• A listener asked what to do with a 17-acre field surrounded by no woods to hold deer. 17:47

food-plot-logs

• Alex Burrow asked whether large bucks avoid food plots with logs piled on the edges. 37:09

food-plot-shape

• A listener asked Don’s favorite shape for a food plot. 73:52

food-plots

• A listener asked Don why he advocates for large food plots rather than smaller ones. 26:10

fundraising

• Terry announced that all money raised through Lester’s Feet at the event will stay in the community to help the widow’s family of three kids. 12:20

great-debate

• Terry announced tomorrow night is the Great Debate with Tony LaPratt. 6:27
• Audio and video of the debate event will be released later, since the event promoters hold the rights to it. 7:02
• The Great Debate idea began a year earlier when promoters pitched it to Don at his booth, and he agreed. 10:27

gun-season

• Wes Delks said his first executive order as president would be to move gun season out of the rut. 2:11 (light moment)

humic-acid

• The humic acid video Terry and Don posted drew over 5,000 views within a couple of days. 2:36
• A Michigan study on captive deer showed positive results using humic acid related to CWD. 3:24

humic-acid-video

• Terry said multiple listeners told him the humic acid video will not come up in a YouTube search even with the exact title. 5:47

invasive-cover

• A listener asked about using a forestry mulcher to create a spider-web trail network through thick invasive cover. 68:20

lesters-feet

• Money raised at the Great Debate event was designated for a charity Don chose, Lester’s Feet. 10:58
• Terry asked attendees to take Lester’s Feet cards and write handwritten encouragement notes to mail to the foundation for sick kids. 13:09
• Chris Yates and Bryhn Craft donated a new truck as a raffle prize for Lester’s Feet. 14:03
• A 30x40 material kit for a post frame building was donated as a raffle prize. 14:08
• A brand new John Deere 1025R tractor with a loader was donated to the Lester’s Feet raffle. 14:17
• The Lester’s Feet prize package was up to over $125,000 and still growing. 14:26
• A podcast listener from Vermont called in to donate a gallon of maple syrup as a raffle prize. 14:40
• Terry gave a raffle update: prizes now total around $130,000, including a tractor, truck, and building material kit. 90:14

mechanical-broadheads

• A listener jokingly asked if Don would rather promote mechanical broadheads or vote to reelect Biden. 53:48
• John Yoder asked whether mechanical broadheads suit better shooters than fixed blades. 125:14

nancy-pelosi-joke

• A listener jokingly asked which consultant Nancy Pelosi would hire if she were a deer hunter. 50:07

neighbor-dogs

• A listener asked the polite way to keep neighbors’ dogs off one’s property. 51:53

nfl

• Don criticized the NFL in a Super Bowl Sunday social media post and got backlash, banning three people from his page. 7:30
• Despite criticizing the NFL, Don ended up doing a land consulting visit on an NFL player’s property that same week. 7:44
• Don stated the NFL as an organization has done disgusting things and taken terrible stands on some topics. 9:05

podcast-origin

• Terry recalled saying no to Don’s podcast idea seven times before finally agreeing. 86:09

podcast-values

• Don said the podcast openly takes a stand on politics and Christianity, which some people dislike. 85:25

politics

• An audience member asked why Don doesn’t run for president. 20:28

property-lines

• John Yoder asked how to keep other hunters off his property line. 96:06

raffle

• Lester’s Feet raffle ticket sales will begin around March 1. 13:53

saddle-hunting

• John Yoder asked Don’s opinion on saddle hunting. 96:16

sanctuary-design

• Nathan Matter asked how close a sanctuary can be to a building. 93:28

tony-lapratt

• Don said that despite disagreeing with him on deer hunting philosophy, Tony LaPratt is a first-class gentleman he respects greatly. 87:19

topography

• Terry asked whether region (north-south) and flat vs rolling topography change Don’s cover recommendation. 18:42

trail-cameras

• Luke Burrow asked about trail camera setups, timing, and tips to improve performance. 58:37

trail-creation

• A listener asked how to keep deer from using the same access trail a hunter uses to reach a stand. 77:01

travel-corridors

• Parker Yoder asked how close travel corridors can be to a building or house. 139:16

tree-planting

• A listener asked what tree Don would plant in open logged areas. 42:27

tree-saddle-joke

• Terry joked that a photo of him hanging from a tree safety harness was taken shortly after taking pain medication for knee surgery. 111:07 (light moment)

widow-family

• Terry revealed they’d learned about a local widow, living under forty minutes away, whose husband recently passed away. 11:12

wind

• A listener asked whether hunting in a slight breeze is better than a dead calm day. 56:48

wind-direction

• A listener asked if Don has a favorite wind direction to hunt. 57:50

yearling-bucks

• Ray Miller asked whether a land manager can do anything to attract and keep yearling bucks. 101:13
• Paul Troyer asked whether he should have shot a doe with triplet button bucks to keep them around. 113:24

Deer activity

• Smokey (harvest) 23:16
• Mel (harvest) 23:23
• Smokey (hunt) 38:13
• unnamed buck (harvest) 38:46
• unnamed buck (history) 118:50
• unnamed buck (hunt) 140:39

Listener questions

Question: Eli Beachy asked whether antler strength differs year to year, noting more busted antlers this year. 15:51 — asked by Eli Beachy

• Answer: Don believes wetter years produce weaker antlers. 16:15
• Answer: Don cited biologist Lee Mitchell’s finding that the 2012 drought significantly reduced antler quality and body weights. 17:01

Question: A listener asked what to do with a 17-acre field surrounded by no woods to hold deer. 17:47

• Answer: Don said cover must be created, recommending fast-growing native grasses and Miscanthus for quicker cover, or trees/shrubs if there’s time to wait. 17:52

Question: Terry asked whether region (north-south) and flat vs rolling topography change Don’s cover recommendation. 18:42

• Answer: Don said trees and shrubs, especially conifers, become a bigger advantage the farther north you go. 19:02

Question: An audience member asked why Don doesn’t run for president. 20:28

• Answer: Don joked he couldn’t win dog catcher in his own hometown. 20:32
• Answer: Don joked that as president for a week he’d eliminate the COVID vaccine and doctor Fauci. 20:42

Question: Larry Beachy asked how long Don managed his wild deer population before starting to cull younger bucks. 21:48 — asked by Larry Beachy

• Answer: Don has managed his property for whitetails for about thirty years, culling hard for roughly the last ten. 22:22
• Answer: An EHD outbreak in 2012 wiped out about 75% of Don’s local deer herd. 23:00
• Answer: After the herd rebounded with better genetics, Don shot Smokey (206 inches) in 2017 and Mel (221 inches) in 2020. 23:16

Question: An audience member asked how long it will take politics to admit they were wrong about CWD given the humic acid research. 24:28

• Answer: Don clarified whether the question meant realizing they were wrong versus admitting it. 24:57
• Answer: Don said politicians will never admit they’re wrong and probably already know it. 25:06

Question: A listener asked Don why he advocates for large food plots rather than smaller ones. 26:10

• Answer: Don compares food plots to restaurants for people. 27:23
• Answer: A small food plot is like a fast-food restaurant with little pulling power, unlike a large one. 27:31
• Answer: On 200 acres, Don likes to see a couple of 10-acre food plots. 28:08

Question: Alex Burrow asked whether large bucks avoid food plots with logs piled on the edges. 37:09 — asked by Alex Burrow

• Answer: Don said buck personalities vary widely; his buck Smokey was the easiest he’s ever hunted. 38:13
• Answer: Don knew he’d kill Smokey and did so on the second hunt after seeing him on the first. 38:23

Question: A listener asked whether Bradford pears spreading in fence rows are a problem to cut or good for wildlife. 35:13

• Answer: Don said callery/Bradford pears are invasive and choke out native vegetation. 35:52

Question: Damon Marling asked how far to go creating deer trails, referencing a ‘spokes on a wheel’ technique. 31:57 — asked by Damon Marling

• Answer: Don criticized a ‘spokes on a wheel’ setup he saw because no wind direction could work correctly for the blind’s placement. 33:40

Question: A listener asked if building a bridge over a muddy creek crossing would help concentrate deer movement. 40:56

• Answer: Don strongly recommended funneling deer movement any way possible. 41:03
• Answer: Don confirmed a bridge through a swamp will funnel deer right past a stand. 41:30

Question: A listener asked what tree Don would plant in open logged areas. 42:27

• Answer: Don would primarily plant swamp white oaks. 42:46

Question: A listener asked the polite way to keep neighbors’ dogs off one’s property. 51:53

• Answer: Don said there is no nice way to do it. 52:14
• Answer: Don said even without doing anything, if a dog goes missing you’ll be blamed. 52:29

Question: A listener asked what mature bucks think about dogs on a property. 52:48

• Answer: Don said dogs are worse for a property than human intrusion, the single worst thing. 52:51
• Answer: Don said even a tiny dog walking near captive deer sends them into a panic, unlike a coyote. 53:20

Question: A listener jokingly asked if Don would rather promote mechanical broadheads or vote to reelect Biden. 53:48

• Answer: Don said there’s no way he’s voting for Joe Biden. 54:48
• Answer: Don said the mechanical broadhead issue comes down to the ethical duty to kill animals quickly and humanely. 54:52

Question: A listener asked whether hunting in a slight breeze is better than a dead calm day. 56:48

• Answer: Don said there is an advantage to wind, and he doesn’t want a dead calm day. 56:58

Question: A listener asked if Don has a favorite wind direction to hunt. 57:50

• Answer: Don’s favorite is an east wind, which brings a weather front and produces some of his best hunts, especially early November. 57:57

Question: Luke Burrow asked about trail camera setups, timing, and tips to improve performance. 58:37 — asked by Luke Burrow

• Answer: Don said a mature buck will go far out of his way to walk through an open gate rather than jump a fence. 60:01
• Answer: Don called trail cameras the biggest game changer in his forty-plus years of deer hunting. 63:38
• Answer: Terry said handling cameras roughly, like tossing them in a backpack in the cold, would upset Steve Shields, stressing careful camera care. 64:07

Question: A listener asked about using a forestry mulcher to create a spider-web trail network through thick invasive cover. 68:20

• Answer: Don said without seeing the property it’s hard to advise, but invasives are a never-ending battle. 68:41

Question: A listener asked Don’s favorite shape for a food plot. 73:52

• Answer: Don prefers long, narrow plots sized so he never has to shoot his bow farther than 30 yards. 74:04

Question: A listener asked how to keep deer from using the same access trail a hunter uses to reach a stand. 77:01

• Answer: Don warned that creating too obvious a trail to a stand causes deer to start using it too. 77:14

Question: A listener jokingly asked which consultant Nancy Pelosi would hire if she were a deer hunter. 50:07

• Answer: Don joked he’d let Tony LaPratt take that client. 50:32

Question: Justine asked when deer switch from fall/winter patterns to summer patterns. 91:36 — asked by Justine

• Answer: Don said he’s found bucks already back in summer bachelor areas with new antler growth as early as March. 92:11

Question: Nathan Matter asked how close a sanctuary can be to a building. 93:28 — asked by Nathan Matter

• Answer: Don said he has laid out sanctuaries going right up to buildings on small properties. 93:47
• Answer: Don also uses old buildings as blinds, baiting does outside and shooting from a window to protect buck stands. 94:22

Question: John Yoder asked how to keep other hunters off his property line. 96:06 — asked by John Yoder

• Answer: Don said he hasn’t had much trouble because his neighbors know he makes his living from deer hunting and look out for him. 99:19

Question: John Yoder asked Don’s opinion on saddle hunting. 96:16 — asked by John Yoder

• Answer: Terry said he’d never hunt from a saddle himself. 96:40
• Answer: Terry said he has no problem with others who choose to saddle hunt. 97:53

Question: Ray Miller asked whether a land manager can do anything to attract and keep yearling bucks. 101:13 — asked by Ray Miller

• Answer: Don said quality habitat and food attracts the doe herd, which in turn attracts young bucks, though some just lock into a secure sanctuary. 101:30

Question: Israel Yoder asked whether Don has a bucket list of hunts outside whitetail deer. 108:48 — asked by Israel Yoder

• Answer: Don’s remaining bucket-list goal is to kill a giant whitetail on public land. 110:02

Question: John Yoder asked whether mechanical broadheads suit better shooters than fixed blades. 125:14 — asked by John Yoder

• Answer: Don said mechanicals are for hunters lacking the discipline or skill to get closer to a buck. 125:41

Question: John Miller asked what buck-to-doe ratio Don maintains and whether too many does is a problem. 129:46 — asked by John Miller

• Answer: Don said too many does can be a problem elsewhere, but his low-deer-density area has never required worrying about ratio. 129:54

Question: Aiden Miller asked if Don would answer anything differently from last night’s debate. 134:58 — asked by Aiden Miller

• Answer: Don said he wished he’d plugged his own Whitetail Master Course more, alongside Tony’s class. 135:30

Question: Parker Yoder asked how close travel corridors can be to a building or house. 139:16 — asked by Parker Yoder

• Answer: Don recalled a buck bolting from an old barn’s sliding door when he walked around the corner, startling him and causing a missed shot. 140:39

Question: Parker Yoder asked how long it takes deer to get comfortable using a new small food plot. 112:03 — asked by Parker Yoder

• Answer: Don said comfort time depends on security; deer feel secure and hit a plot almost immediately if human intrusion is low. 112:18

Question: Paul Troyer asked whether he should have shot a doe with triplet button bucks to keep them around. 113:24 — asked by Paul Troyer

• Answer: Don cited research by Dr. Carl Miller at the University of Georgia on button buck dispersal. 113:39
• Answer: That research found bucks typically disperse five to twenty miles from their birthplace. 114:02
• Answer: If the mother doe is killed, 90% of the time her buck fawns stay near where they were born, so Don confirmed Paul should have shot that doe. 114:26

Broadcast live from Shipshewana, Indiana as episode 105, the show previewed the next night’s Great Debate with Tony LaPratt, with proceeds and raffle prizes benefiting Lester’s Feet, chosen for a local widow whose late husband’s autoimmune disease was also found in their son. Terry noted their humic acid video had drawn over 5,000 views, and Don discussed CWD, citing a Michigan captive-deer study and UK soil-mineral research, and said he personally suspects nutrition over sharpshooting as the real answer. Don also described his culling philosophy, targeting weaker three-year-old bucks while letting top ones mature, and recalled harvesting Smokey and Mel. A long run of listener questions covered food plot size and shape, trail cameras, sanctuary placement near buildings, deer trail funneling, invasive Bradford pears, dogs on hunting land, wind direction preferences, and button buck dispersal research from Dr. Carl Miller.

Unofficial fan project. AI-synthesized from public episodes; may contain errors.